Between My Brother And Me: In Somnis Veritas
by Green Phantom Queen
Summary: Part of the Between series and based on Alice in Wonderland, Mokuba feels loss and frustrated in life until.he follows a boy with white rabbit ears into Wonderland and meets with Noah, ruler of the land. But Noah wants Mokuba to be his 'Alice' and thus Mokuba's friends must rescue him before Wonderland keeps him forever. (Slight Stepshipping) (Remember to review for more chapters!)
1. Prologue: The Dream

_Here I am with another backstory that I wanted to do for quite sometime._

 _For those who have read my other stories in the Between series (those with "Ab + Latin word that starts with A" anyway), you will find characters with different characterization and backstories. In this story, this will be the one where I wish to delve into the story of Noah and how he became a Dark Signer Acolyte. It is the story of dreams and of awakening set in a world everybody should know so well…_

 _The world of Alice in Wonderland._

 _Before we begin, I would like to give a shout-out to the following: ChibiRinni (for her fanfic "Reality Sucks"), Lucio O (for the fanfic "Spawn of Evil") and both 0ccam's Razor and MultiplePersonas (for the cards in Noah's deck and the latter for the characters that populate Wonderland)_

 _Other things used for inspiration include Pokémon 3: Spell if the Unown, the song "Alice Human Sacrifice" by Vocaloid and the song "Wonderland" done by both Taylor Swift and The Divine Madness (and "Gentle" for the latter)._

 _And copious "The Birthday Massacre" songs. Can't forget those._

 _For those who don't know (or haven't read my other stories in the Between crossovers), they have both Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh characters mingling with one another with Pokémon characters taking roles like of the Dark Signers and Crimson Dragon Signers. Timeline-wise, it will take three months before the duo of "Ab Aeterno/Ab Antiquo" (and thus it takes place 15 months before "Ab Initio"). None of the three stories are necessary to follow the plot of this though._

 _Anything I forgot? Oh right. Slight mentioning of Stepshipping (Noah and Mokuba pairing) but no sex, promise._

 _So with all of that out of the way, let's go down the rabbit hole, shall we?_

* * *

 **Between My Brother And Me: In Somnis Veritas**

 **Author:** Green Phantom Queen

 **Rated:** T

 **Summary:** Feeling lonely, frustrated and lost in the real world, Mokuba finds himself hurled into Wonderland and meets its ruler, Noah. Unfortunately, Noah wants Mokuba to stay in Wonderland forever by any means necessary. Without time to waste, Mokuba's friends must venture through Wonderland to save him.

 **Prologue: The Dream**

"Would you like some more tea, dear Alice?" asks Noah, a young boy with teal hair that is dressed in white.

Alice, dressed in blue and her long black hair topped with a brilliant golden crown, happily claps her hands as Noah pours the tea. Next to her is another boy with short purple hair with a red crown topping his head, and dressed in a red tunic, preparing slices of plum cake for them and for the rest of the guests in the ballroom, here to celebrate Alice's coronation and marriage to Noah and thus becoming Queen of Wonderland.

"Leonhart," says Alice, turning to the one in red. "I'm grateful for your support when we first came to this place. I feel as if this is the place I truly belong."

"I am glad to find you happy," Leonhart smiles. "And I will be here to support you and your husband for as long as you need me."

"We are proud to be allied with the Mirrorland Kingdom and to help you fight the treacherous Jabberwocky and its army of darkness," Noah adds. He then turns to the wedding guests, many of them humans, some of them human looking, and a few of them animal-like. They feast on various foods, some known to humans and many only native to Wonderland itself. Noah clears his throat as everyone stops their chatter to turn to him.

"Citizens of Wonderland and Mirrorland," he begins. "I am pleased to announce our marriage and to declare Alice and I as the rulers of Wonderland. If there is anyone who objects, speak now or forever hold your peace."

There is silence as Noah picks up a small box on the table. He opens it and presents the ring to his bride-to-be, one made of silver helixes and topped with a ruby heart. Alice gasps in awe as Noah drops on one knee to present it to her. But just as he slips the ring onto Alice's finger, he hears a voice that states two words.

"I object."

Everyone turns to see a tall figure walk into the ballroom, their face obscured by a helmet shaped like the head of a white dragon with a long trail of red hair that falls to their waist. They wear a long silver coat, and their black boots silently walk across the checkerboard floor, and around their neck is a locket in the shape of a Duel Monsters card. In their hands is a sword covered in blood. The guests look in fear as the warrior approaches Alice.

"Who are you?" Alice whispers. For some odd reason, she knows this stranger... something about their stature, their calm attitude, their voice calls out to her. The warrior stays silent before clutching the locket in a gentle grasp.

"My name is of no concern at this point," he begins. "But I know who _you_ are."

Removing the clasp of the locket, he flips it over, causing Alice to drop to her knees as she sees the image. It is a younger her staring at a camera while she happily holds a chess piece in hand. She looks down at her neck and opens the locket she is wearing. It is an exact replica of the warrior's, but the image shows a boy with brown hair and blue eyes concentrating on his next move in the game of chess.

"What trickery is this?" Alice whispers, her hand trembling as she loosens her grip on the locket.

"Your name isn't Alice, your highness," The warrior continues. "Your true name is Mokuba, and you...are my brother."

Alice begins to shiver in fear as the wedding guests whisper amongst themselves. Leonhart places a hand on her shoulder to calm her down as Noah picks up a knife and points it at the stranger.

"Silence you wretch!" He snarls. "You and your lies are not welcome here. Leave now."

The warrior stays silent before he briefly turns to Alice still shivering in fear, her heart pounding in her chest as she feels memories crashing down on her like a tidal wave. She is Alice from Wonderland...not a boy named Mokuba. She...she…

"No!" Alice screams, struggling to stand up, a hand on her face as she fights off the memories that threaten to rip her apart. One side tells her to believe the warrior's words, the other demands to reject them and stay in Wonderland. The warrior only stares at how conflicted the girl is but says nothing else. He briefly scans the room, noticing the curious gazes of the guests that don't know whether to kick him out of the ballroom or not.

After a few tense seconds, Alice snarls, her eyes flashing to a shade of black as she states, "I...I won't stand for this!" She points a trembling finger at the warrior (No, the warrior has a name...Seto, is it?). "Noah...Off with his head!"

With her cry, Alice's eyes become the color of the night sky as she forces the warrior to his knees with a hand in the air. With another swipe of her hand, the bloody sword levitates into the air, the pointy end floating toward the warrior's neck. Leonhart, Noah and Alice smile as the wedding guests scream for a beheading.

The warrior stays quiet as the blade inches closer and closer to his neck...instead, he bows his head in defeat, knowing that his plan has failed.

And with Alice making a slashing moment with her hand, the knife follows suit...

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

But before we can continue, we need to go back to how this story begins.

The date is May 3rd, and it is in the late afternoon.

The location is the Domino City International School. More specifically, the location is of the auditorium for the school where various students are going through one more dress rehearsal for their production of "Alice in Wonderland". The stage is decorated as a court and there are four actors on stage: the King of Hearts, the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit and Alice herself.

The focus of our story is on Alice, dressed in a blue dress lined with symbols of playing cards at the hem, a white pinafore embroidered with the symbol of a rabbit, a pair of black and white striped stockings and polished Mary Jane shoes and a blue and white lace bow decorating their head. But there is one peculiar thing about this person playing Alice...

And that is that the person dressed like Alice is actually a _boy_.

This boy is Mokuba Kaiba, who is annoyed at how he has been picked to play as the titular Alice, and not even paying attention to the White Rabbit and Queen of Hearts arguing. He knows all his lines by heart and is just waiting for the rehearsal to end so he can get out of the dress and back home. He sighs when he stands up and the King of Hearts begins to ask him questions.

"What do you know about this business?" asks the King to Alice.

"Nothing," Mokuba answers curtly. He folds his arms across his chest for emphasis.

"Nothing whatsoever?" The King screeches.

"Nothing whatsoever," Mokuba repeats, sighing as he mentally follows the script through his mind. There is a scene where the White Rabbit reads a poem in an envelope where said poem (and the King of Heart's train of logic that follows it) makes just as much sense as inventing a solar-powered flashlight. He has to resist the urge to roll his eyes and waits a few more minutes before the Queen of Hearts (played by a senior student named Giselle) screams her trademark, "Off with her head!" before he shouts,

"And who cares for you? You're all nothing but a pack of cards!"

"CUT!"

The actors turn to their drama teacher, Senri-the father of Haruka and Masato, two of Mokuba's closest friends-who lets out a long sigh at Mokuba.

"Mokuba," he begins. "We've gone through this already, but you need to put more life into your character. You act like...like...well…"

"Like who? My brother?" Mokuba asks bluntly. There is an awkward silence as Senri tries to find the right words. Everyone else, from the actors to the backstage hands, watches nervously as Senri clears his throat.

"You act as if you find this role insignificant of your time," he clarifies.

"It is!" Mokuba shouts, taking a handful of his dress and showing it to everyone. "Why am I the one taking the role of Alice?! Why not let someone else take it and let me be a stagehand instead?"

"Maybe if Hikari didn't suddenly get sick with fever, we'd let her do it," Giselle notes as she leans forward. "Plus, isn't it _your_ fault for that?"

"I apologized for pouring that bucket of water already! I'm sick of these rehearsals and just want them to end!" Mokuba concludes this by sitting in his chair. Senri closes his eyes and shakes his head.

"He's right-we've gone through this scene twice already." He addresses everyone, from actors to stagehands to the musicians in the orchestra pit. "We'll call it a day, but I want no one slacking off tonight. Everything must be ready for tomorrow, all right?"

"Yes, teacher." Everyone choruses. Mokuba groans as the other actors begin to walk off and the musicians pack their instruments. Someone approaches him-a girl with short light brown hair and blue eyes that is dressed as a Duchess.

"Rough time with your brother?" She asks.

Mokuba nods his head. "He comes home super late these days and I noticed that he ends up going to some 'suspicious' locations."

"Like he's getting friendly with the Yakuza or something?"

"No," Mokuba leans close. "I'm talking about the _supernatural_ type of locations, Serena."

Serena raises an eyebrow as she briefly watches the actors go backstage to change (Mokuba does not have that luxury as his clothes are wet after someone accidentally dropped water above his head earlier today and he asked Isono to deliver them back to the manor to be cleaned) before she whispers, "Seto Kaiba and the supernatural are _not_ something you put together. Doesn't he hate things like that?"

"It's more like he has no use for it since he has science and technology for all of his daily needs." Mokuba answers. "I don't know what he's hiding from me, but I don't like it."

"I'm sure he has a reason for his behavior and he'll tell you when it's time. Now come on, you aren't getting home just by sitting here."

"I can't go home like this, though," Mokuba exclaims, running a hand through the Alice dress he's wearing. Thinking quick, Serena rummages through her backpack and pulls out a blue jacket lined with white.

"Take this," she says. "Just promise to have it laundered and delivered to me tomorrow, ok?"

"But Serena, you almost never let anyone borrow this…" Mokuba takes the jacket into his hands, unfolds it and stares at it like it's an irreplaceable treasure. "Are you sure?"

"What are friends for?" Serena smiles and removes her head dress. "Just give me a few minutes to get out of this dress and we'll walk our way home, all right?"

"Sure."

And with that, Mokuba watches Serena walk backstage, briefly saying hello to Haruka and Masato (the former playing the Cheshire Cat, the latter acting as the Dormouse) before she gets dressed. Mokuba takes the time to slip into the jacket, glad to find that it fits him perfectly.

Now the only thing left is to tell his brother _why_ he came home with it in the first place.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"So Serena," Mokuba begins as the two leave the school campus, gripping on the straps of his backpack with each step. "You wanna go hang out at the arcade before going to my house?"

"I love to," Serena answers, briefly looking up at the sky before speaking. She adjusts the red baseball cap on her head (which is just as valuable as her jacket and she never lets anyone wear it). "But I promised to help Millefui and Kanata make all of the food for tomorrow's party. Haruka and Masato are joining in and we'll be sleeping over so it's more convenient for all of us. We'll be watching re-runs of _The Haunting Hour_ , rehearse our lines for tomorrow, and maybe get our homework done, who knows? Oh and I found this cool recipe of strawberry pepper tarts that will be all the rage at the tea party and all."

"Oh, right…." Mokuba trails off. "I kinda forgot about that…"

Serena frowns and pokes his shoulder. "That's not all you've been forgetting." She notes. "Senri-sensei is pretty pissed that you can't get the right 'attitude' for Alice. It's like you were Harrison Ford with his narration of _Blade Runner_ and the like. We've all been hard at work at this production for months now, and we can't go on if Alice acts like an emotionless robot."

"It's not my fault…"

"It will be if you don't shape up. If this has anything to do with your brother, then you have to forget about it for just one day and think of the performance and how everyone is depending on you to get it right."

"It's not just what he's doing that's bugging me, but that he's not _telling me_ about it." Mokuba explains. He sighs as the two stop at the street that leads to Millefui and Kanata's apartment. "And I'm sick of how he doesn't have time for me anymore...like he's too busy to even talk about what's going on…"

Serena says nothing, then places a hand on his shoulder. "Things will get better. I don't know how, but they will. I have to go, and if you need anything, call me."

"Yeah. Thanks again for the jacket."

"Anytime, Mokie."

Mokuba slightly cringes at the nickname as he sees Serena walk up the stairs to the third floor before he starts walking off. A part of him wishes he can be part of the fun, but quickly remembers that his brother refused to let him go out for something as 'unnecessary' as a sleepover when he brought it up last week.

That part irritates him; why can't he hang out with his friends? It's not like they're going to hurt him or anything.

Just then, he briefly sees a boy with black and red spiky hair run past him. This would be a common occurrence, as people rush to get to wherever they need to be when they're running late. But it is what the boy is _wearing_ that catches Mokuba's curiously…

A red waistcoat, black pants, some sort of eyepiece, a futuristic watch that is apparently broken...

And a pair of white bunny ears sticking out of his head.

"I'm late! I'm late!" The boy shouts. "If I don't get back in time, the prince will turn me into rabbit stew for sure!"

"Hey...wait up!"

Curiosity takes over Mokuba as he follows the boy toward Domino Park, hearing the boy constantly shouting "I'm late! I'm late!" before leaping head first into a large rabbit hole that appears out of nowhere…

And Mokuba quickly follows him in, tossing his backpack and Serena's jacket aside to go down the rabbit hole without once thinking about how he will get back to the real world, how strange and illogical this all seems, or what Serena would think if she learns that he carelessly tossed her jacket aside.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"And that's all I can get," says a voice, breaking the uneasy silence, two hours later.

Seto Kaiba is quiet as the woman, with blue-black hair and dressed in a black dress lined with blue, hands him Serena's jacket, left behind in the park alongside Mokuba's backpack and a calling card of a white rabbit. Seto winces when he sees the jacket; he knows how much Serena treasures it (and her red baseball cap) and can only imagine her reaction if she sees it but no Mokuba wearing it.

"I wish I can go farther," Natsume adds quietly. "But entering the Dream in my current state will tip the ruler that I am an intruder. Not to mention that this is not something Mokuba owns, but he knows how valuable it is to its owner." She shakes her head and smiles. "What a pity; I would have loved to see that world for my very own."

"We're not doing this for fun," says Seto. "If that menace that has caused others to sleep have gone for my brother, then who knows what they want to do with him." He sighs. "I kept telling him not to go out for the past few weeks to protect him, and have been staying up for the past few nights gathering information with those journalists, but he doesn't believe me at all." He places a hand over his left eye for a few seconds and when he lowers it, his icy blue eye now glows white. "The more I try to protect him, the more I'm hurting him in the end."

Natsume stays silent as she watches Seto quietly fold the jacket and slip it into Mokuba's backpack. She looks at the calling card in her hand before speaking. "We need to send someone after him... someone that can easily blend in and rescue your brother before he becomes a nameless wanderer like what's been going on with so many children these past few weeks." She notices Seto calling someone on his cellphone, but they both know that even if his brother has his cellphone on him, there will be no reception.

"I hate to ask Siegfried for stuff like this," Seto mutters. He waits for the phone to ring twice before he hears his business rival's voice. "Cut the formalities, I need Leon to investigate something. Yes, it's _that_ sort of something. Yes, it relates to that Dream. Okay...yeah...he's already there? Fine, keep me posted."

He hangs up and pockets his cellphone.

"I knew you were a businessman, but that deal came a little too quick," Natsume remarks. "So...what are you going to do now?"

"I have some leads to follow and research through the Chasing Shadows blog to go through. You have a meeting with the other Dark Signers, right?" Natsume shakes her head.

"Korin and Kamisure are off on a date, Mikuri is meeting an old friend of his, Wataru is off to see his sister, Nagi has a photoshoot and Bel has an _Alice in Wonderland_ play to get ready for." Natsume smirks. "She's the White Queen, before you ask."

"...You mind staying with me for the time being?" Seto asks after an awkward pause. Natsume chuckles.

"I think I'll enjoy spending time with you," she says. "Although, you better tell that puppy of yours that you'll be busy with 'work' to play with him."

"For the last time, Katsuya and I aren't an item."

"...not _yet_." Natsume replies.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Mokuba has no idea how much time has passed when he wakes up to a bright blue sky above his head.

He _does_ know that it is long enough to realize that he no longer has Serena's jacket on him. He can only imagine her wrath when she finds out.

But the most important question on his mind is where he is at the moment, and whether or not anyone knows where he is.

"Curiouser and curiouser," he notes, slightly berating himself for quoting from the script as he looks around. He doesn't want to admit it, but it looks like he's landed in Wonderland.

That shouldn't be possible, though...Wonderland doesn't _exist_.

 _Then again..._ says a voice in his head. _Neither should those demons who have bonded to you._

He brushes the thought aside as he begins to walk the dirt path, ignoring the feeling that something isn't right. He takes a deep breath as he tries to act like nothing's wrong. But after a few minutes, he curls his hands into fists, wishing he had his deck on him (which is back in his backpack) as he turns around.

"Who's out there?" he asks. "Show yourself!"

"Gladly."

Mokuba gasps and spins around, seeing a boy around his age dressed in white with a stylish top hat on top of a head of sea-green hair, standing behind him. The strange boy chuckles as he removes said top hat and bows toward Mokuba.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Asks the boy dressed like Alice.

"You can call me Noah," the boy in white answers. "And may I personally welcome you to my world." He straightens himself and places the top hat back on his head. "Welcome to Wonderland."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Mokuba; Noah, huh? Nice to meet you.**

 **Noah: Same to you, Alice.**

 **Mokuba: Don't call me that. I'm no Alice.**

 **Leon: Be careful, Mokuba. This guy is dangerous!**

 **Noah: Am I? What a horrible thing to say about me.**

 **Leon: I don't trust you one bit. Next time, 1st Dream - "Under Your Spell"**

 **Noah: Don't worry, Mokuba. You're safe with me...**


	2. Under Your Spell

_**My name is Leonhart von Schroeder, Leon for short, and Leon Wilson for whenever I venture out to an unknown world.**_

 _ **Now, I know what you're thinking. "Why would you go and change your name?" and "You go to other worlds?" Well, I wish I can answer these questions, but that's for another time.**_

 _ **But compare my fake name to when you make accounts online for almost anything. Emails, games, blogs...you always have your real name and a username to hide under. In the websites you visit, you aren't really you and that can be a good (or bad) thing. With what I do, it's better to be safe than sorry, especially with the mission my brother has given me.**_

 _ **I always loved Alice in Wonderland-while a bit mad, it was all harmless fun. Not unlike Coraline where one sews buttons into their eyes in order to be happy…**_

 _ **But now, I get the feeling that something dark lurks within Lewis Carroll's world of mad logic….**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **1st Dream**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Under Your Spell**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

In Millefui and Kanata's apartment, three girls and one boy are hard at work in the kitchen, the sounds of electric mixers whirring, whisks rapidly hitting metal bowls, the roar of ovens and Serena's laptop playing _The Halloween Tree_ composes a symphony that keeps them working even as they all slave over the hot stove.

"Heads up!" says Millefui, tossing two eggs to Serena (who swiftly catches them in her hands). "We've got lots to do before tomorrow."

"This will be done a lot sooner when Kanata comes back from the market," Serena notes. She swiftly cracks the eggs and tosses the egg shells behind her back where they drop into the trash can. "I bet she's busy haggling over the price of tomatoes again."

"I hope she's not out too long though," says Haruka, kneading dough for cookies. "Have you been hearing those rumors about some of the students at the International School of Domino City?"

"What rumors?" asks Masato, watching the movie playing (it's currently at the scene where the kids are offering a year of their lives as payment). Haruka sets the rolling pin down on the counter before approaching the laptop to stop the video.

"Well, I've been searching through the Chasing Shadows blog as of late and there's been trumors that students from ISDC have been unexpectedly falling into comas," she begins. "It's been like this for the past few weeks, and the list keeps growing and growing. Here are some pictures of the victims."

Haruka quickly types the URL for the Chasing Shadows blog, waiting for its home page (its logo depicting a motorcyclist chasing after a shadowy figure) to load as the other three crowd over her. Clicking a link, the page loads an article about the coma victims.

"The students were just minding their own business, going home or to the arcade and all," Haruka continues. "Then, all of a sudden, they wind up on the street unconscious. And the worst part is that there's no pattern to it at all-except that all of them came from the very same school, as if whatever is doing this is searching for someone specific."

From the various pictures shown (with their faces censored out to protect their privacy), most of the victims are boys, although one or two girls are seen too. They're easily recognizable to the four since students from both schools meet for various events throughout the year and all students hang out in the very same places.

"That can't be right," says Millefui, pointing to a picture showing two boys having lunch (one has a grilled cheese sandwich while the other is about to feast on fried shrimp that, for some odd reason, is covered in _natto_ ). "Mom says those two are regulars at the Café in Wonderland; it's hard to believe that someone with their appetites would find themselves unconscious."

"And look at that one," says Serena, seeing a boy with glasses pushing someone in a wheelchair. "No way that he could've been taken by how popular he is."

"Look at this one," Masato whispers, noticing a photo of a boy wearing a red mask over his eyes "Even someone as famous as him? And they all came from the same place?"

"Yeah. That's probably why mom and dad were so reluctant to let us sleepover," Haruka suggests, keeping her eyes on the webpage. "That could also explain why Mokuba isn't joining us, too...but does that mean…"

Just then, the door opens and a girl with short purple hair topped with a pink bow enters, three bags of groceries in her hands.

"Sorry I'm late," says the girl, Kanata, as she walks into the kitchen, setting three paper bags down on a clean corner of the counter (with one bag having a baguette sticking out for good measure). "Haruka-san, what are you looking at?"

"The recent coma epidemic at our rival school," Serena answers. She pauses as a thought enters her mind. "Say, you don't think…"

"Think what?" asks Millefui, noticing the look on Serena's face as she turns the bill of her baseball cap on her head to the right (something Serena does when she is thinking hard about something not related to school). After a few seconds, while Haruka shows off those very same photos to Kanata, and Masato proceeds to sort out groceries, she shakes her head.

"Just forget it," Serena answers readjusting her cap. "It's a ridiculous theory anyway…"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Leon is no stranger to the Nightmare Realm.

It is a realm that exists in one's dreams which leads to doors to strange and alternate worlds that are equal to the number of stars that shine in the sky at night, only accessible to those blessed by its rulers to freely enter them to ensure their safety or, in worst case scenarios, find sleeping souls that wandered into worlds not meant for them and to wake them up.

Each world is populated by different versions of people, each world plays out in varying degrees depending on how history plays out. In one world, the death of a butterfly in prehistoric times warps the present into a dystopian future. In another, avoiding an assassination attempt prevents a world war from igniting. And in a third world, things happened where Eris is invited to a banquet and thus the contest to see which is the fairest goddess between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite never spirals toward the destruction of Troy.

The possibilities are as endless as time itself.

Leon is tasked as one of those wakers, a Dream Teller. It is his job to enter one of the more well-known locations of the Nightmare Realm, oone indicated by the myriad of trees as far as the eye can see, many of them with doors in the center. Each door marks a certain world, a certain story, ones that have been told time and time again in television, film, books, art and more.

The location is Fairytale Forest, and Leon has a love for these types of stories.

Growing up, he is pushed aside while his older brother is trained to take on the family business. To entertain himself, Leon reads as many stories about fairytale as he could. From traditional stories by the Brothers Grimm, the bittersweet ones penned by Hans Christian Andersen, the nursery rhymes of Mother Goose and tales from other countries with names he cannot pronounce, Leon finds himself wanting to live in those worlds and then some.

So it comes to a surprise when three significant events in his life, all in this exact order, brings him to where he is right now, at a tree that bears a door depicting a white rabbit.

The first is when he receives a reply from the Creator of Duel Monsters, Pegasus J. Crawford, responding to a letter in regards to creating Duel Monsters based on the fairy tales Leon loves. Pegasus, perhaps understanding what Leon has gone through, sympathized with the boy and a collection of cards was born.

The second is the circumstances that lead to both him and his brother to be living in Domino City alongside Siegfried's close friend, Mache, a fashion designer and children's book writer, where she reveals how she is actually part of a secret group of people dedicated to watch out on the strange circumstances going on in other worlds. Without hesitation, she initiates them as Disciples of the Crimson Dragon, something that the two gladly join in on.

Third, and last but not least, is learning of Seto Kaiba and the types of battles the CEO of Kaiba Corp. goes through at night. While he knows about how Seto overthrew his abusive step-father, he does not know about the double life Seto lives when it comes to investigating various dealings withthin Domino Below (a term coined by Siegfried after reading _Neverwhere_ ) until one night he finds himself captured by a Lady of Wight and about to be sold to the highest bidder.

That event (which has Seto take on various monsters while handcuffed) lets him manifest one of his powers as a Disciple; the ability to manifest his faithful Duel Monsters in battle. In no time, fairy tale creatures fight off the Skull Servants while Blue Eyes White Dragon destroys the headquarters of the trafficking ring.

Ever since then, Leon takes it upon himself to hone his skills and venture through the Nightmare Realm to help others. He never wants to be that frightened boy about to be used as an indentured slave.

And when he hears hiw his fellow students at ISDC have fallen into comas, he begs his brother to uncover the plot as tonight of all nights is the perfect time to enter the the world that has dragged his fellow students away. Reluctantly, Siegfried allows him to go, especially since they learned a few hours ago that Mokuba has gone missing.

Letting out a long sigh, Leon approaches the symbol of the white rabbit and watches as a shimmering outline forms into a door. Then, with a gentle breeze, the door opens. Leon makes sure that his deck and Duel Disk are on him before he jumps into the portal and the door shuts itself close.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

" _How doth the little crocodile_

 _Improve his shining tail_

 _And pour the waters of the Nile_

 _In every golden scale!_

" _How cheerfully he seems to grin_

 _How neatly spread his claws._

 _And welcome little fishes in_

 _With gently smiling jaws!"_

"ENOUGH!" Mokuba exclaims, stopping in his tracks. "I am sick and tired of these poems!"

Noah blinks as Mokuba kicks at a conveniently placed rose bush over and over again. The two have only been walking for about half an hour or so to the nearest residence (which, as Noah notes, belongs to the Mad Hatter) so the two can have a bite to eat. To keep themselves company, Noah decided that it would suffice if he recites some poetry.

Poetry that Mokuba despises, seeing as they all are stuff he has to recite tomorrow morning at school.

Panting heavily, Mokuba has half a mind to tear through these roses with his bare hands, but stops because of how the sharp thorns will cut his fingers if he decides to do just that. Instead, he groans and seats himself on a nearby stump.

"I'm sorry if I caused you trouble," says Noah, approaching the cross boy. "I had no idea you found my types of poems... irritating."

"It's not you Noah," Mokuba sighs. "It's…" he shakes his head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Is that a challenge?"

"No, you really wouldn't understand." Mokuba looks at the card locket draped over his heart and opens it, seeing the image of his brother at a more innocent time in his life. "I... I'm just tired."

"Of what? Of living? Of being seen as a child?" Noah's concern-filled voice causes Mokuba to lower his defenses slightly, even if they have just met. "You can tell me anything, Mokie."

If someone is to say that nickname to Mokuba, he usually tells the person to shut up (unless it's someone he knows personally, like Serena). But when Noah says it, it's not in a mocking or jeering tone. It is with honesty, like he is someone who just wants to listen to what Mokuba has to say.

Seeing as there is no one else for miles, and no one, not even his brother, knows where he's at, Mokuba looks into Noah's eyes and begins to speak.

"I have an older brother," he starts, closing his locket. "We lost our parents when were younger and our other relatives could give a rat's ass about us."

"Language!" Noah exclaims. "I highly doubt Alice would swear like that." Mokuba just huffs.

"I'm not Alice, remember? Anyway, we were eventually sent to an orphanage, and my brother dreamed of the opportunity of someone adopting the both of us-most adults who came only wanted to adopt him, not me-and have our lives change.

"Then, that day came, and that was the end of everything."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

In his office, Seto Kaiba sneezes. This does not go unnoticed.

"Someone's thinking of you," Natsume chuckles. "I wonder if that person is Katsuya…"

"Not funny," Seto replies, hastily blowing his nose with a tissue. Tossing it in an overflowing wastebasket by the side of his desk, he returns to his work. Natsume sits on the sofa, cross-leggesd. She attempts to meditate, but the incessant clicking of mouse and keyboard distracts her. After five minutes of trying, and failing, to find inner peace, she sighs.

"What exactly are you looking for?" she asks.

"I'm trying to find any strange phenomena that are similar in nature to what's been going on with those coma victims," Seto answers. "And I think I found something involving a group conducting experiments in regards to dreams."

"What's its name?"

"The Arcadia Movement."

This piques Natsume's interest. The Arcadia Movement is an institution for those naturally born with psychic abilities (like she) whose true motivations have been shady as of late with multiple articles and posts on the forums of Chasing Shadows that boil down to how the Arcadia Movement isn't as it seems. Natsume personally knows the head of said movement, Divine, and anything involving him is enough to make her stop what she's doing and walk toward the young CEO, leaning over his shoulder (which he doesn't mind) to let get a better look. Seto clicks a link that leads to the Arcadia Movement's home page where it displays information about the movement itself, its founder and recent news as of late.

Natsume frowns. "I don't see anything useful if it involves him," she remarks.

"That's not what we're looking for," Seto notes. "See that girl in red?"

Natsume briefly glances at the girl in the picture and gasps. She knows that girl very well.

Natsume died by the person the Chasing Shadows blog dubs the "Black Rose Witch" a few years ago and would have stayed dead were it not for a large blue humanoid who granted her life-after-death. Sensing the woman's inner turmoil had the Earthbound Immortal of the Giant help control the sin that they bore (Lust) and use it to channel her anger and hated that she bore from both the woman who killed her and the man who instigated it when he realized that he couldn't "control" Natsume so easily.

Seeing both Divine and said Black Rose Witch together is enough to make her blood boil (if it could) and unleash Ccapac Apu on the Arcadia Movement's building and see it destroyed with a simple punch from her Earthbound Immortal before she personally assaults Aki Izayoi and chokes her to death as payment. For Divine, death will be seen as "mercy" compared to what the Dark Signer of the Giant plans to do to him.

Sensing Natsume's fury, Seto hastily tries to change the subject. "She hasn't been seen recently, despite being the star student of Arcadia. Divine has said that she has been in a 'meditative trance' to hone her skills. But…" He slightly moves out of the way as he notices how Natsume is close to shattering the windows with a single scream. "I have a theory that Divine is using her psychic abilities to see if he can use her as a conductor for the Nightmare Realm."

"That's suicidal!" Natsume exclaims. "No person is strong enough to contain the Nightmare Realm."

"But Divine doesn't care who he hurts, as long as it benefits him in the end." Seto knows this first-hand, nearly dying after underestimating the extent of Divine's psychic abilities and only escaping thanks to Siegfried's timed assistance. That, and Natsume's undead state also hints to Divine's sociopathic traits. "If we can get his Witch out of the Nightmare Realm, or at least, squeeze information out of him in regards to how he can send others to the Nightmare Realm, then that's one less problem."

"...I'll call Nagi right now." Natsume wastes no time to make a phone call, punching the numbers in while she speaks. "She has a friend, you know, Misty?"

"Lola?" Seto nods his head, vaguely recalling a raven-haired beauty he met at a dinner party once. For someone who was in the fashion business, she was quite astute and could see, just through one glimpse of his face, what would be in his future. Let's just say her prediction involved him unable to save a boy from being hanged by a trio of sadistic monsters. "Yes, I do."

"Misty has a brother in the Arcadia Movement, Toby. And, coincidentally, Toby is a big fan of that…" Natsume curls her hand to a fist and snarls, "Witch, so perhaps he can be of some use. I'll also ask Kamitsure if she can have her Acolyte infiltrate the building."

"Wait...you'll let a _child_ like her enter that lion's den?"

The thought of that girl, Molly Hale if he recalls, who died from the grudge of a discarded doll coming to life, innocently entering the Arcadia Movement to infiltrate it only to be caught and then tortured (or worse, hurled out of a window on the top story) is enough for Seto to cast doubt on the investigation. Natsume sighs.

"Molly has been dead for about eight months now," she remarks with a roll of her eyes. "And besides, she can take care of herself."

Seto says nothing but instead returns to his research. Natsume hears the phone ring four or five times before she hears her girlfriend ask, "Hello?"

"Nagi," Natsume begins. "It's me, Natsume. Can I speak to Misty for a moment?"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"And ever since then, I have no idea what to think of him any more," Mokuba finishes, feeling much lighter now that this is all out of his chest. "I just wish I was that innocent boy who didn't have to be Atlas all the time."

Noah stays quiet as he absorbs everything Mokuba has told him over the past hour. If he can, he will give Mokuba a warm hug and tell him everything is all right.

Instead, he does something else.

Taking a deep breath, Noah gently plucks one of the roses and hands it to Mokuba, the boy in a dress slightly confused but understands the gesture.

"Thank you," he says, smelling the rose. He lets out a sigh as he twirls the stem in between his fingers. "Sometimes I wish I could just wake up and smell the roses. It definitely sounds better than constantly smelling like sulfur."

"Hmm?" Noah tilts his head in confision.

"Long story," Mokuba explains, wishing he has his deck on him (even if he still can't grasp being the chosen one for the Burning Abyss monsters).

Noah just smiles. "You don't have to tell me now," he pats Mokuba's shoulder and leans close to the boy's ear. "Because you'll be staying here for a _long_ time."

Before Mokuba has time to react, the roses and their thorns fly toward the boy, binding him so he is unable to escape, lest he wants to be cut by the thorns and have the dress be torn into shreds (which, even though he dislikes, it is the only article of clothing he currently has on).

"Noah... what's going on?" He asks, doing his best to stay calm. Sure, he has been kidnapped once or twice, but not in Wonderland and not by a boy he just poured his heart to! "Let me go this instant!"

"I can't," Noah answers with a shake of his head. "Not until I get some questions answered."

"W...what do you mean by that?"

"Why are you _really_ here?" asks Noah, leaning closer to Mokuba. His eyes start to glow like burning coals as the thorns around Mokuba begin to tighten. Mokuba doesn't wince as the thorns prick his skin-he's felt worse than that. "No, don't tell me...you hated your life up above and ended up here in order to escape your troubles, correct?"

"Well, yeah, I just told you my history and all," Mokuba looks around him, trying to hide the fact that he is nervous about this interrogation. "But I think that I would like to be free, if it's all right with you."

"Really now?" Noah chuckles. "I'm flattered and all, but I can't let you leave and tell Seto about me. It would ruin the surprise."

"What do you...wait-" Mokuba pauses. "How did you know about…"

"Seto?" Noah giggles as he circles his trapped prey. "I know all about you two because of your step-father, Gozaburo." Noah leans close, his eyes turning fierce as he adds, "Who happens to be _my_ father too."

Alarms ring in Mokuba's head. Noah is the son of Gozaburo Kaiba?! He looks away as he recalls a wish he made so long ago with the Netherlord of the Burning Abyss, the guilt in his heart building like a wildfire before Noah places a hand under Mokuba's chin and forces the boy to stare at his grey eyes once more.

"I'm not mad, Mokie," Noah whispers. "I'm actually glad you came to Wonderland in order to see me. You see I populated Wonderland with various characters large and small but there was always something missing…

"That something was an Alice who could venture through it.

"And who do I find just _coincidentally_ dressed as Alice but the same person I wanted to see." Noah laughs, stroking Mokuba's cheek all the way down to his chin with a finger. "This is all too perfect. I have you, my Alice, and soon I will have my revenge on Seto once and for all."

Before Mokuba can realize what's next, the rose in his hand fires a green mist in his face. He does his best to hold his breath, but he isn't expecting Noah to lean close…

And then to seal their lips with a kiss.

The horror of being kissed by his step-brother causes the boy to panic as he struggles both to escape and for air. Noah forsees this though, and keeps his mesmerizing gaze on Mokuba, slowly watching the trapped boy's eyes glaze over before Mokuba's body slumps to the side. Noah steps back as he sees his prey breathing slowly, inhaling the poisonous mist with each breath he takes.

"You are my Alice," Noah whispers, taking Mokuba's hand and kissing it. "And you will stay and rule Wonderland with me. You can forget all your troubles up there and be the innocent child you always wanted to be down here…"

"Forever…" Mokuba mumbles before his eyes close shut.

Noah smiles and waves his hand so the vines slowly recede, before running his hands over the scratch marks that decorate Mokuba's arms, the cuts vanishing within seconds. Cradling the sleeping boy into his arms, Noah is about to head back to his castle when he hears someone approach.

"Mokuba!" The voice shouts. "Are you here?"

Noah snarls as Leon emerges from some large bushes, the purple haired boy gasping when he sees Mokuba unconscious in Noah's arms.

"You!" Leon exclaims. "What have you done with him?"

"I've done nothing wrong to my dear Alice," Noah answers. "I found her asleep here and am bringing her back to my home. You're welcome to join us if you want."

"You sick…" Leon spits out, ignoring the fact that Mokuba is dressed as Alice. "Give him back right now or else!"

"Or else what?" Noah smirks before his eyes drift to the Duel Disk strapped to Leon's arm. "Oh, I see now."

He sets Mokuba down against the tree stump, softly smiling at the boy's sleeping expression, and excited to find 'Alice' awake in a few hours. He turns to Leon and summons his own Duel Disk in a flash of light, one that has his tray colored black and white like a chessboard and the main body showing the four playing card suits, alongside a deck of Duel Monsters cards that he slips into the deck holder.

"So," Noah begins. "Will you join the dance with me...um, I'm sorry. What's your name? My name is Noah."

"Leon Wilson," Leon answers, drawing five cards. "I don't have time for idle chit-chat. I came here to uncover what's happened to people in Domino City and why they've fallen into comas. Are you the cause of them?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Noah also draws five cards. "Tell you what, if you win this duel, I will let Alice go back to her world and tell you how to free the others that wander in Wonderland."

"And if I lose?" Leon frowns. For some reason, this all seems _too_ easy.

"Then you will become one of the whimsical characters here," Noah smiles. "This will be such fun, don't you think?"

"Like I want to waste my life away here," Leon remarks. "And if that's out of the way, let's begin!"

"Let's Duel!"

 **(Leon: 8000) - - - - - - - (Noah: 8000)**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Serena: All those people who were attacked, where have they gone?**

 **Haruka: Better yet, why were they taken? And what caused them to fall into comas?**

 **Masato: I hope Mokuba is all right. Who knows what he's going through?**

 **Millefui: Wherever he is, I'm sure he's safe and sound... right?**

 **Kanata: You never know, sis. Next time, 2nd Dream - "Surrender"**

 **Noah: After this duel is over, a new life awaits you, Leon. Just you wait.**


	3. Surrender

" _ **By the pricking of thy thumbs, something wicked this way comes…"**_

 _ **This is the feeling I have while I wait for my younger brother to return with news about his excursion through Wonderland. I usually am calm and can trust my brother on making it out safely…**_

 _ **But for some odd reason, I can't.**_

 _ **This type of world that Leon is venturing through is unique. In some cases, a Dream Teller has to free at most one or two souls from their sweet dreams. But Wonderland has snatched so many that it's difficult to understand its motive. Why these people? And for what purpose?**_

 _ **The only thing I can count on is how my brother is determined to get to the bottom of this.**_

 _ **And that he would rather die than succumb to whatever dark spell that has befallen others.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **2nd Dream**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Surrender**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

With their photo shoot done for the evening, Nagi invites her fellow model friend, Misty Lola, for a quick bite to eat at the Cafe in Wonderland (even though, as a Dark Signer, she actually has no reason to). Hanako, the chef and owner of the Café, smiles as she sees the models enter. Business is slow tonight, which is okay since they are in no rush to leave.

"Stephanie!" Hanako shouts. "Please get the menus for them!"

"Hai!" says a teenage girl dressed as Alice (one of the unique draws to the café has the waiters and waitresses dressed up as characters from the classic children's book) brings two menus (one for meals and the other for drinks) for them. Nagi offers a smile that causes Stephanie to blush and rush off to refill another table's drink order.

"I sometimes find myself envious of your ability to charm women," Misty chuckles, flipping through the menu.

"In truth, I'm only capable of charming most men and some women," Nagi replies. She takes a look at the decor: the walls painted like a forest filled with toadstools and roses, the tabletops patterned after chessboards, a shelf filled with a myriad of teapots, a hat rack with an abundance of hats, stuffed animals of white rabbits and cats and more. It is clear that no expense was too much to replicate Lewis Carroll's famous books.

After Stephanie arrives with two cups of water, and takes an order for the two to try the Blue Butterfly Tea with Lemon, Nagi narrows her eyes. "Misty, can I tell you a secret?"

Misty looks at Nagi and frowns. She has the ability to predict the future by looking into one's face, but Nagi is one of those rare people that she is unable to describe. Yes, she can see Nagi's face is tranquil like a still pool of water, but she cannot see what lies beneath that facade.

Misty leans forward, arms folded in the table. "You already heard everything you needed to know about the Arcadia Movement and how my brother enrolled there. And, while it seems a bit silly, I do have a tendency to look through articles on Chasing Shadows when I have the time."

"It's not that embarrassing," Nagi chuckles. "I sometimes have the tendency to stand at the balcony of my home at night and proclaim 'I'm Queen of the World!' just for the sake of it." There is a pause. "Yes, I am a fan of _Titanic_.

"But back to this secret, you know my girlfriend, Natsume?"

"I've heard you mention her from time to time," Misty answers. "From how she sounds, she seems like she bears a grudge against the Arcadia Movement."

"That's because she does. She was killed by the same man who founded it."

Stephanie returns with a tray consisting of two glass teacups, a matching teapot filled with hot water (which has a compartment for the tea leaves and flowers to seep into the water) and a small saucer of lemon wedges. Misty stays silent as Nagi continues.

"Natsume was a prodigy when it came to having psychic powers," she explains. "But she never liked to use them for violence. She wanted to help those who were ostracized like her for having these abnormal abilities and soon found a kindred spirit in the man known as Divine."

"Divine"...that name causes Misty to clench her teeth as she recalls how her younger brother, Toby, became lured by Divine's promises of helping others through honing his abilities. He is too blinded by Divine's charm and power to believe in his sister's warnings about Arcadia itself.

Neither brother nor sister have been in contact with each other since he stormed off to join the Arcadia Movement, but Nagi (somehow) offers Misty updates on her brother's status (so far, Divine hasn't tortured the boy...yet).

"They were going to change the world, the two of them," Nagi continues, pouring tea into the tiny cups, eyes slightly widening in surprise when she sees the tea turn blue. When she adds a squeeze of lemon to it, the concoction turns purple. "Natsume fell for him hard, and that would eventually turn out to be her…'undoing'.

"Aside from telepathy, telekinesis and more, Natsume has the power of post-cognition, the ability to see into the past. When she accepted Divine's proposal to help spread the Arcadia Movement throughout Domino City, she heard his thoughts and saw that he was more of a monster than the angel she thought him to be.

"Her suspicions became true when the girl named Aki Izayoi entered her life."

Misty frowns, knowing exactly who Nagi is talking about, but knows not to say anything until Nagi finishes speaking. Instead, she calmly sips her tea as Stephanie returns to take their order.

"I'll have the Lobster Quadrille Bisque, if you don't mind," says Misty.

"And I would like the White Knight's Club Sandwich, my lady," Nagi adds, giving another wink at Stephanie as the waitress takes the menus away. When she is gone, Nagi continues.

"Aki Izayoi, the 'Black Rose Witch', known for her rose based monsters and her sadistic, cruel personality, was feared by all. Yet the only person that she would open herself up to was Divine. And Natsume, who was Divine's first love (at least, that's what she thought at the time) had to warn the broken girl to not trust him.

"Alas, Divine got to Aki first.

"Natsume, already a powerful Duelist, was forced to duel the Black Rose Witch in an 'exhibition match' to prove the might of the Arcadia Movement. Aki was poised to win with her Black Rose Dragon by her side while Natsume had drawn the card that would make her achieve victory. But before Natsume could play the card…"

Nagi stops and takes a sip of her cooling blue tea. After "contemplating" its taste, she sets the cup down.

"Well, some say that the stress of the duel put a strain on her heart and she collapsed. Others say that, due to how the duel was playing out, Natsume had a broken heart when it was revealed she was tossed aside for a rose like Aki.

"But little did anyone know was that Divine played a large part of her current state.

"After that duel Natsume found herself in her room, bound by chains and both Divine and the Black Rose Witch as company. The Black Rose Witch was under his command now, and there was nothing Natsume could do about it, that was what Divine gloated. He wasn't going to bring good to the world, but rather take all of those innocent confused lambs into serving a greater purpose.

"A psychic uprising."

Misty places a hand to her mouth, the thoughts of her younger brother becoming a soldier to this madman's cause race through her mind as Nagi looks solemn.

"Natsume couldn't break through the binds, weak from the drugs Divine injected in her to keep her docile. And so Divine commanded the Black Rose Witch to torture her, and the witch complied.

"Now, I don't know how long Natsume was tortured, but what she will tell me is that the last thing she consciously recalls is Divine approaching her, kissing her on the lips before driving a knife through the heart. So yes, Natsume died of a 'broken heart' in the end."

"But if Natsume died…" Misty lowers her voice to a whisper, piecing everything together. "Then how is she…"

"Oh yes, that," Nagi chuckles as she closes her eyes. "Let's just say she was approached by a being similar to the one that would let my heart go on after **I** died."

When Nagi opens her eyes, it takes everything Misty has inside her not to drop the tea cup in her hand onto the floor. Gone are those cool grey eyes that many fans fall in love with and have many photographers praise for how they "stare into the unknown". In their place are a set of black eyes one can easily find on a monster's face. The whites of her eyes are also black, like they are sucking in the light of everything else.

"I haven't been honest with you for some time, have I?" Nagi muses. Misty is too terrified to even shake her head. Nagi sighs. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't explain my current state to you until you were ready. Now, if I can trust you to not run away after learning that you are dining with a corpse…"

Despite this revelation, Misty manages to nod her head once. Nagi smiles, but it seems off when combined with her black eyes.

"I was reborn by the Immortal of the Lizard, while Natsume found herself in the hands of the Giant. The Giant heard her cries for help, the anger she held for the two who killed her and the anguish that falling in love with a sociopath like Divine caused her death. In most cases, that would be it. But Ccapac Apu had other plans, and those plans involve Natsume to be reborn as a Dark Signer. You see…"

At this point, Stephanie returns with their orders. Misty is unable to mutter a "thank you" while Nagi pulls out the cellophane wrapped toothpick holding one sandwich half together. Seeing how Misty looks like she is about to faint, Nagi places a hand on her cheek and the other hand sets the cup of cerulean colored tea onto the table.

"I'll continue after we finish eating," she murmurs. "You look pale as death, love."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"I'll go first," says Noah, drawing a card. "And I'll start by summoning Alice, the Warden of Wonderland in Attack Mode!"

In a burst of light a familiar face emerges. It is Alice Liddell, although she is now a teenager, with blond hair falling to her waist a blue lacy dress and a hunting knife in her hand. Her expression shows no curiosity at all…

Instead she is absolutely pissed. (1300 ATK)

"A Wonderland deck?" asks Leon. "Curiouser and curiouser…."

"I agree," Noah chuckles. "But that's not the only thing I have in store. Now I'll equip the Vorpal Blade onto her to give Alice an additional 800 Attack Points!"

Replacing Alice's simple knife is a two-handed broadsword. (1300 -) 2100)

"And I think that will do for my turn. You're up."

 _Something is off here..._ Leon thinks to himself as he draws a card. _I best be on my guard... I can't end up like Mokuba and the others who might be stranded here._

"My move," he says, drawing a card. "And I'll start off with my Gingerbread House Spell Card!"

A Spell Card depicting a house made of candy and frosting appears before the card is replaced by that very same house. Noah tilts his head.

"Should I expect a witch who wants to eat me?" he asks.

Leon shakes his head. "You'll see what happens on your next Standby Phase. But for now, I summon my Forest Wolf in Attack Mode!"

With a howl, a wolf emerges….somehow dressed in a pink nightcap and matching night gown. (1800 ATK)

"Someone fond of fairy tales, hmm?" says Noah. "I must say, that is quite a site. All the other people I've dueled never had a deck like that."

"You dueled others like me?" asks Leon, trying to ponder how many students may have challenged Noah and whether or not it is proportional to the ones who are lost here.

"Well most of them anyway, particularly the ones who grew 'mad' and tried to leave Wonderland." Noah chuckles as he folds his arms over his chest. "But why anyone would try to leave Wonderland is beyond me, don't you think?"

Leon does not reply, but instead sets a card face-down and ends his turn.

"My move? How kind," says Noah, drawing a card.

"Not so fast," says Leon. "Now my Gingerbread House activates and my target is Alice!"

The door to the house opens and sucks Alice inside. Seconds later, she emerges but is covered in sprinkles and chocolate chips.

"Huh?" asks Noah.

"During your Standby Phase, I can use Gingerbread House to select a monster you control and let them gain 600 Attack Points," Leon explains.

It's true as Alice now sports 2700 ATK.

"There's a catch, isn't there?" says Noah.

Leon chuckles. "If the monster chosen has their attack greater than 2500, then they're destroyed." He waves at Alice panicking. "Bye, Alice."

"Not so fast! Vorpal Blade, take the blow!"

Alice's sword shatters into pixels while Alice works on shaking off sprinkles stuck to her hair. (1900 ATK)

"If Alice is targeted by a card effect that would destroy her while the Vorpal Blade is equipped, I can destroy that instead of Alice," Noah explains. "And I have more monsters to play like Tweedledee in Attack Mode!"

Performing a somersault is a stout little man wearing a purple and orange schoolboy uniform and a beanie topping his head. (1800 ATK)

"And if I sacrifice 800 of my lifepoints, I can bring out Tweedledum to join in the fun!"

A mirror image of the stout man appears, also performing a somersault. (1600 ATK)

 **(Leon: 8000) - - - - - - - (Noah: 7200)**

"Oh and thanks for giving Alice a boost," Noah chuckles. "Because I'm about to…"

He is stopped by a loud roar that knocks his monsters off their feet. The source of the roar comes from Leon's Threatening Roar Trap Card.

"...forget I said anything," Noah mutters, placing a card face-down.

"And I'll start my turn," says Leon, drawing his card. "And now I summon Cinderella in Attack Mode!"

A young girl dressed in rags appears before Noah, before, with the help of her Fairy Godmother, her rags transform into a beautiful gown. (300 ATK)

"And when Cinderella is Summoned, I can Special Summon her ride to the ball, the Pumpkin Carriage in Defense Mode."

Emerging from the forest is a large pumpkin carriage drawn by four white horses. (800 DEF)

"Of course, it's not Cinderella without her famous footwear, now is it?" says Leon. "That's why I can equip her with my Glass Slippers Spell Card!"

A pair of glasses slippers materialize over Cinderella's feet. She spins around, trying to take a better look at her new shoes.

"It doesn't matter whether or not the shoes fit her," Noah notices. "She's still too weak to face my monsters head on."

"But I'm not letting her attack your monsters," Leon explains. "While the Pumpkin Carriage and Glass Slippers are in play, Cinderella can attack you directly!"

"What?!"

Cinderella grins as she kicks her Glass Slippers off, aiming them towards Noah who shields himself with his Duel Disk where they shatter into shards.

 **(Leon: 8000) - - - - - - - (Noah: 6900)**

Then, the Glass Slippers rematerialize...but they are now on the feet of Tweedledee!

"Hey!" Noah shouts. "Take those slippers back with you!"

"No can do," says Leon, wagging a finger. "After Cinderella successfully attacks, those slippers are equipped to one of your monsters, and they lose 1000 Attack Points."

Tweedledee groans as his attack score now reads 800 ATK.

"Now Forest Wolf," Leon commands. "It's time to eat!"

Forest Wolf smirks as he lunges toward his prey. And before Noah can say, "What great teeth he has!", Tweedledee is swallowed whole all while Forest Wolf trots back to Leon's side.

 **(Leon: 8000) - - - - - - - (Noah: 5900)**

Then, the Glass Slippers appear on Cinderella's feet for a second time, and a smile is on her face. (300 ATK -) 1300 ATK)

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention that," says Leon. "After I destroy the monster who doesn't fit the slippers, Cinderella gets them back, along with an additional 1000 Attack Points, and we can do this all over again on my next turn. Neat huh?"

 _Not if I have anything to say about it._ Noah thinks as he watches Leon play another face-down card.

"My move," says Noah, drawing a card.

"And that means Gingerbread House activates!" Leon interrupts.

The Gingerbread House sucks Alice inside once more; when she returns to Noah's side of the field, she is munching on a cookie. (1900 -) 2500 ATK)

"And this is how the cookie crumbles…" Leon chuckles as Alice explodes into pixels.

 **(Leon: 8500) - - - - - - - (Noah: 5900)**

Noan snarls as he looks at his hand.

"I summon Humpty Dumpty in Attack Mode!" He says.

Leon doesn't seem surprised to see the famous egg man from Mother Goose's Nursery rhymes bow at him (2300 ATK)...although he now has "I am the Walrus" playing in his head (he blames Mache for that).

"Attack!" Noah commands his monster.

And soon enough, Humpty Dumpty rolls himself into a ball and crushes Forest Wolf into pixels.

 **(Leon: 8000) - - - - - - - (Noah: 5900)**

Then, Humpty Dumpty pants and drops to his knees (0 DEF) while Tweedledee rolls back to Noah's side of the field. (1800 ATK)

"Oops," says Leon. "Forgot to mention that any monster Forest Wolf destroys, you get back once my wolf is destroyed."

"Good to know," Noah smirks. "All righty then... Tweedledee and Tweedledum, attack!"

The twins pull out two broken rattles and hurl themselves into Cinderella and her pumpkin carriage, beating them up black and blue until they are destroyed.

 **(Leon: 7500) - - - - - - - (Noah: 5900)**

"i'll end it with another card face-down," Noah finishes. "You're up."

"Thanks," Leon mutters.l, drawing a card. "And, since I feel generous right now, I play Card of Sanctity!"

Coins rain from the sky as both duelists draw until they have six cards (five more for Leon, four for Noah). Leon sighs as he looks at his new cards.

"Bad hand?" Noah smirks.

"Not bad, just not that good," Leon answers. "I play Iron Hans in Defense Mode."

A blacksmith with grey shaggy hair wielding an axe appears, shielding himself. (800 DEF)

"And when Hans is summoned, I can Special Summon Iron Knight on the field, but he'll lose 1000 Attack Points as long as Hans is on the field."

A knight in dull grey arnor arrives on a chestnut colored horse, pointing his lance at Noah's monsters. (1700 -) 700 ATK)

"Now my knight, make sure Humpty Dumpty can never be fixed!"

The brave knight charges toward Noah's monster and shatters Humpty Dumpty with a thrust of his spear.

"And I end my turn at that," says Leon.

"Then let me take an advantage of your generosity," Noah giggles, briefly looking at Mokuba before drawing his card.

Then Gingerbread House sucks Tweedledee in and he emerges seconds later covered in chocolate syrup. (1800 -) 2400 ATK)

"I'll start by sacrificing Tweedledee…" Noah begins.

 _I see..._ Leon thinks. _Tweedledee will be destroyed on Noah's next turn and he won't risk another monster to be destroyed so easily._

"And I'll summon my Heart Guard in Defense Mode!"

A strange monster looking similar to a two of hearts playing cards walks onto the field. Leon has watched the Disney Animated film enough times to know what it looks like: a small head wearing a red cowl and thin arms and legs to give it a humanoid shape. In its hands is a spear topped with a red heart. (1000 DEF)

"You sacrificed a monster with 2400 Attack Points for that?" Leon asks incredulously.

"I can only summon it this way," Noah explains. "But he won't be here for long. I activate my Trap Card, Two Pronged Attack to destroy Iron Knight!"

As Noah's Trap Card lifts, three bolts of lightning strike Heart Guard, Tweedledum and Iron Knight, sending them to the graveyard. Then, three of Noah's monster zones start to glow.

"My Heart Guard has an ability that works once he's sent from the field...anf that is to Special Summon the Club Guard, Spade Guard and Diamond Guard in Attack Mode!"

Three monsters that resemble Heart Guard appear, except they are the three of clubs, the four of spades, and the five of diamonds, and their spears are tipped with the symbols of their respective suits which they point at Leon menacingly. (1000 ATK x 3)

"I am so _scared_ …" Leon mutters.

"You should be," Noah chuckles. "Because you're about to lose a lot of lifepoints! Attack my monsters!"

The three guards, and Tweedledum, charge toward Leon, who only replies with a smile.

"I activate...Mirror Force!" he shouts.

Noah gasps as the Trap Card absorbs the attacks and quickly destroys his monsters, leaving the field empty….

Then, he straightens himself up and laughs.

"What's so funny?" Asks Leon

"I was hoping you would have a card like that," Noah explains, a wicked grin on his face. "And now that all four of my guards are in the graveyard, I can summon their ruler through my Spell Card, Queen's Invitation!"

Leon gasps as Noah plays his Spell Card, showing one of Terrell's illustrations of _Alice in Wonderland_ where a frog footman delivers a vastly large envelope to the fish footman inviting the Duchess for a game of croquet. Now he knows he's in trouble.

"With this card," Noah begins, as four cards are ejected from his graveyard. "I can Banish all four guards to summon Her Majesty, the Ruler of Wonderland, The Queen of Hearts!"

Arriving in a shower of rose petals is a beautiful woman with long hair the color of ebony, skin white as snow, and a blood-red dress decorated with symbols of playing cards. In her hands is a staff topped with a ruby heart. (3400 ATK)

"So," Leon begins. "Has she ever…"

"Executed someone?" Noah finishes, playing Mystical Space Typhoon. The Spell Card destroys the Gingerbread House by lifting it into the air before it shatters into pixels. "No, she hasn't. When people have their heads off, it's because they act crazy."

"How crazy?"

"They keep believing they are somebody else," Noah explains. "Like the Mad Hatter for example...he keeps talking to someone named 'Yubel' that doesn't exist. Had to send him on some deliveries for Mirrorland to calm him down.

"Then there's that poor Cheshire Cat...she actually thinks she's a human, a _real_ human, instead of a cat with a human form.

"And don't get me started on the Knave of Hearts, who believes himself to be the true executioner here…" Noah chuckles. "But what am I saying? You won't be remembering this in a short while. No, you will just be another inhabitant of Wonderland and you can just forget about your problems up above."

"But my problems aren't from the real world... they're right in front of me," Leon retorts. "Now, are you done?"

"With my turn? Yes, I am. But Leon," Noah smiles as he sets two cards face-down. "I'm not done having my way with you yet…."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Woo!" Korni shouts, spinning round and round in circles. "That was amazing!"

Kamitsure smiles as Korni grabs her hand and the two spin together underneath a street lamp. They have just finished watching a night viewing of _Mad Max: Fury Road_ and Korni is running on adrenaline from the epic movie. That and a cup of frozen yogurt topped with berries, hot fudge and caramel chips they finished ten minutes ago.

"That was the craziest film I ever saw with the action and the fire and how it's a testament to women everywhere!" Korni babbles, her grin as wide as a monkey's. "Ooh, nothing can ruin this moment, can it?"

Three seconds later, the sound of Kamitsure's cellphone ringing (which plays the opening guitar riff of "Come as You Are" covered in _American Horror Story: Freak Show_ ) ruins the moment.

Korni pouts as Kamitsure pulls her phone out of her purse and answers the call.

"Yes?" asks Kamitsure. "Oh, Natsume...you need Molly? For an investigation at….that place?" Korni looks in concern as Kamitsure raises a hand to her. "About that world...oh, I see. Okay, and Nagi also has backup...good. Anything else?...Fine, if that's what we need. We'll see you in two hours. Bye."

"What's going on?" asks Korni, her blue eyes filled with concern. Kamitsure turns to her and smiles sadly.

"You know where those blond siblings live, right?"

"Citron and Eureka? Yeah of course I…" Korni pauses before raising an eyebrow. "...Where are we going, exactly?"

"We're infiltrating the Arcadia Movement. And we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"That sounds dangerous, deadly, dark and full of doom…." Korni pauses before unleashing another monkey-like grin. "I'm on it! Ooh, we need some excitement, a reason to expose that God-like bastard for his crimes and maybe get some students along the way, not to mention their dueling terminals will be perfect for practice and a…"

Kamitsure chuckles before placing a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek. "One step at a time, love. Let's just start at us stopping Wonderland from placing people into comas first."

Korni grins. "Aye, that works too."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

In their apartment, a girl playing _Kingdom Hearts I_ suddenly shivers.

"What is it, Eureka?" asks her older brother, Citron, entering the living room. His sister is about to enter Wonderland as she pauses the game.

"I...I sensed something wrong, big brother," Eureka answers. "Could something be wrong with…"

"Eureka, Leon is one of the best when it comes to entering dream worlds," Citron interrupts. He sits himself down next to his sister. "I know you're concerned about him, but he's going to be okay."

"You think so?"

"I know so." Citron smiles and hugs his sister tight. "Now come on, finish the level then get some rest. You're the Dormouse at school tomorrow, remember?"

"Yes Citron." Eureka smiles as she resumes her game.

But just as she's about to start the first cutscene, there's a knock on the door.

"I got it!" says Citron, approaching the door. "He opens it and gasps to see Korni appearing in front of him with a big smile on her face.

"Hiya!" She says, all while Citron reaches for a gadget in his backpack. "You mind if I rest here for a minute? We have a _lot_ to talk about for tonight's fun after all…"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Leon draws a card, staring at it before looking at the rest of his hand.

"I hope your queen doesn't mind getting some beauty sleep," he says. *Because I activate Spinning Wheel Spindle!"

Noah raises an eyebrow at the Spell Card, depicting a spinning wheel used for spinning wool into thread along with a spindle wrapped with woven thread.

"How is that a threat to my Queen?" Noah inquires.

"My Spell Card sends your monster to the graveyard for three turns," Leon explains. "Which gives me enough time to prepare my counterattack."

The Spell Card transforms into a spindle that shoots at the Queen of Hearts like an arrow before she drops to her knees, eyes shut closing before she collapses as if dead before dissolving into light, snoring all the while.

"It would be more fitting if she took a bite out if a poisoned apple," Leon remarks. "But only because apples and rises belong to the sane family, but also because only true love's kiss can save her...but who truly loves this tyrranical wonan who would ask for beheadings as if she was part of the French Revolution?"

Noah snarls as Leon plays another card.

"Now, let me summon Glife the Phantom Bird in Attack Mode!"

A large bird with red plume and long tail feathers emerges, letting out a powerful screech. (1500 ATK)

Noah raises an eyebrow. "Where does he come from?"

"A pretty obscure tale," Leon answers. "But he comes with the effect of destroying a Spell or Trap Card you control. And I choose…."

Noah begins to sweat as Leon points towards a card on his left and how Glife swoops in to destroy it with a beat of its wings. Then, he notices how Iron Hans is no longer crouching, menacingly brandishing his axe.

"Attack directly!" Leon shouts.

Both bird and blacksmith charge towards Noah, who calmly activates his face-down card.

"A Rival Appears!?" Leon gasps, noticing the image of Ebon Magician Curran and White Magician Pikeru fighting one another.

"Yep!" Noah grins. "And, luckily for me, I have a monster in my hand whose level matches the both of yours. So here, I summon Mouse with a Long Tail in Defense Mode!"

Appearing from the card is...well, a mouse with dark brown fur and a very long tail that has one or two knots in it. (2000 DEF)

Leon frowns as both of his monsters return to his field before he signals the end of his turn.

"Well then," says Noah, drawing a card. "Why don't we shake things up a bit? I play Morals of the Duchess!"

A Spell Card with another of Tenniell's illustrations appears. It depicts Alice carrying a flamingo in her arms with the Duchess resting her large chin on the young girl's shoulder.

"And what should I expect from that?" asks Leon.

"It depends on what you draw," Noah answers. "Draw the top card from your deck and let's see where this goes."

Leon hesitates before slowly drawing a card. He stares at it for a few seconds before flipping it over.

"A Trap Card, hmm?" says Noah. "Then that means that we reshuffle our decks and take 1000 points in damage.

Both boys feel a jolt from their Duel Disks as their decks are shuffled.

 **(Leon: 6500) - - - - - - - (Noah: 4900)**

"Then," Noah continues. "I activate Reasoning!"

"Reasoning in _Wonderland?_ " Leon exclaims as he sees the Spell Card. "Fine, let's get it over with. I choose 4."

Noah wordlessly draws three cards, sending them to the graveyard with each draw reaches the fourth one...and smiles.

"Sorry," Noah chuckles. "But my Jabberwocky is too strong to be a Level 4 monster."

Leon gasps as the draconic monster from the titular poem appears: a vicious reptile with a flat face and beady eyes on a serpentine neck, a pear-shaped torso that is wearing a vest for a very odd reason (then again this _is_ Wonderland, er, Mirrorland) along with long limbs ending in wicked claws. (2600 ATK)

Iron Hans gulps as the monster turns is beady gaze at him. Then, with a roar, the Jabberwocky unleashes a burst of fire that incinerates him.

 **(Leon: 5100) - - - - - - - (Noah: 4900)**

Leon's hand is trembling as he draws a card. The cards in his hand are of no use to make any lasting damage on Noah's lifepoints, and he has no clue as to what type of dangers lurk in Noah's deck. Not to mention that there is something off about Wonderland...the feeling that reminds him of that old film _Metropolis_ where the bright city hides the starving souls of the workers who slave away for others' hedonistic pleasures.

Time to stall.

"So," Leon begins. "How did you end up here?"

"How does anyone enter Wonderland?" Noah begins. "I was minding my own business when a white rabbit shouting, 'I'm late! I'm late!' appears in front of my eyes and I follow him down.

"At first, I was alone and confused like dear Alice, but eventually I found myself appointed by the Queen of Hearts herself to bring Wonderland into prosperity, to help end fights and help lost souls who wished to live in this wonderful world...if only for a little while. I guess you can say that I am Wonderland's tour guide."

"I see..and how long have you been in Wonderland?"

Noah lifts his head to the sky in thought before he looks back at Leon. "I haven't the faintest idea."

"And…" Leon hesitates, briefly staring at Mokuba's sleeping figure. "You mentioned other people here."

"I did." Noah replies testily.

"And I want to know what happened to them," Leon answers. "It's my job as a Dream Teller to awaken those who have wandered into these realms. And recently, Wonderland has consumed too many souls to my liking. You should at least know the cause of this."

"And if I were to know such a thing, what are the chances of me telling you about it?" Noah snaps, clenching a hand to a fist. "I will it give you your answers if you win this duel, and it's still your move."

"Fine," says Leon. "I'll start by playing Water of Life to resurrect my Iron Knight."

A Spell Card of a pitcher of water being poured into a goblet appears. Then the Iron Knight appears on his steed, lance ready to strike at the Jabberwocky's heart. (1700 ATK)

"But he's not staying for long. Now I sacrifice him and Glife to summon Hexe Trude!"

Both bird and knight vanish as a new figure emerges in a plume of dark fire. It is a sorceress with raven black hair that falls to her shoulders, wearing a low-cut dress the color of a heart, and a look of bemusement in her eyes. (2600 ATK)

"And my dear witch hates the sight of rats," says Leon. "So go, Hexe Trude, destroy him!"

Hexe Trude cackles as she fires a ball of black energy at the mouse, the poor creature shrieking in pain as Hexe Trude closes her eyes, a shadowy aura enveloping her.

"Oh," says Leon with a smirk. "Whenever Hexe Trude successfully destroys a monster, she gains an additional 400 Attack Points; if I destroy one more monster, she'll tie with your Queen of Hearts. So I'll end it with one card face-down and end my turn."

Noah draws his card as a shower of rose petals materializes. Then, the proud figure of the Queen of Heart appears, brandishing her staff at the sorceress that guarded Leon. (3400 ATK)

"Get her my Queen," says Noah. "Off with his head!"

The Queen of Hearts channels a bolt of red lightning into her staff, her eyes fixed on her target as she unleashes the attack. Leon smirks.

"I activate...Rising Energy!" he exclaims. "And with the cost of one card in my hand, Hexe Trude will gain 1500 Attack Points this turn."

The Queen of Hearts gasps as her opponent's strength reaches 4500. Hexe Trude raises a hand into the air, slightly moving her fingers like how one plays the keys on a piano as bolts of lightning from the sorceress strike down on the Queen, shattering her into pixels and leaving her staff behind.

 **(Leon: 5100) - - - - - - - (Noah: 3800)**

"Come next turn, your Jabberwocky is next," says Leon.

Noah lowers his head. "There won't be a next turn for her."

Leon blinks as he sees Hexe Trude clutch her chest in agony. She now wears a pendant of a black crystal heart on a silver chain that causes Noah to laugh once more.

"Anyone who defeats my queen gets affected with a Dark Heart Counter," he explains. "That prevents your monster from attacking and you lose 1000 lifepoints during your Standby Phase."

"No…." Leon gasps.

Noah nods his head as he looks at his cards. "And with that, my turn ends. What will you do?"

Leon gulps as he draws his card, wincing at the pain that courses through his body from the Dark Heart Counter.

 **(Leon: 4100) - - - - - - - (Noah: 3800)**

The only thing Leon can do is set a card face-down and hope that he can get something better next turn. But he still has enough lifepoints to spare, a monster with 3400 Attack Points, and successfully destroyed Noah's most powerful monster...

And yet...why does he feel that something isn't right?

Noah draws his card.

"This is the Beginning of the End!" he exclaims, playing his Spell Card. "And said card will let me draw three cards as long as I Banish 5 Dark monsters in my graveyard."

Leon watches as Noah places five cards into his top hat before drawing three new cards. Then, Noah smiles.

"I summon the White Rabbit in Attack Mode!"

Leon has read _Alice in Wonderland_ to know how the story goes and this time it is no different. On the field appears an anthropomorphic rabbit with white fur and pink eyes who stands upright on his hand legs, dressed in a red waistcoat with a pocket watch in his paw. (1400 ATK)

"And...what does he do?" Leon asks nervously.

"Him?" Noah answers. "Well, he's a Tuner and he's going to help me summon someone that will help me win this duel. So now, I offer both White Rabbit and Jabberwocky to summon one of my most powerful monsters!"

The White Rabbit fades into a set of blue rings while the Jabberwocky shifts into seven stars that line up and dance amongst the rings.

 **(*3 + *7 = *10)**

 _"Ever drifting down the stream, lingering in the golden gleam-Life, what is it but a dream?"_

The stars and ring soon mold into a humanoid figure made of light. Leon feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up in fear.

"Behold, my great monster!" Noah exclaims. "Meet The Red King!"

With a loud "POP!", the light fades, and Leon blinks in surprise and confusion. Instead of a grand figure, this Red King is nothing more than a small child who couldn't have been more than ten, with inky black hair, red silk pajamas, and an oversized golden, bejeweled crown tilted forward. He is standing up, fast asleep and gently snoring, body slightly swaying in what Leon assumes to be a sweet dream. (4,000 ATK)

In a way, Leon can somewhat see that the King has an eerie resemblance to Mokiba...if the latter isn't stuck dressed as Alice Liddell, that is.

"What's so grand about him?" Leon asks, noting the king's high Attack score.

"He has a special ability," says Noah. "You see, with just the right words, I can wake him up and then…"

"And...then?"

"Everything will go 'Poof!' just like that, as if one woke from a dream. This means that he'll destroy all cards on the field, including himself.

"Wait, you summon a Level 10 Synchro Monster with 4000 Attack Points and then _destroy him?_ " Leon exclaims. "That's suicidal!"

"Is it considered it if you're in a dream and that nothing is real?" Noah questions. He then crouches low and whispers. "Wake up, my king. It's time to rise."

"Mm…" groans the king, slowly opening his eyes

Leon shields himself with his Duel Disk as he watches this task unfold, somewhat akin to that moment in _WALL•E_ when the ship captain, after years without ever having to use his legs to move around, begins to stand like a baby about to walk for the first time. The king's eyes open up, and they are nothing but pure light. Light that causes Hexe Trude to gasp before the light envelops her and causes both boys to look away.

When the light fades, there is nothing left. Leon watches as Noah pulls out a card from his graveyard.

"And here comes my king's second effect," he says. "As Alice notes when she woke up, she asked her dear Kitty as to who was the true dreamer of Mirrorland: her or the Red King. Gameplay-wise, this lets me summon a Dark monster from my graveyard with less than 2000 attack points. So, I think I'll end this duel like I began it."

As the older Alice Liddell appears, that's when it clicks into Leon's mind (he should have noticed it sooner when Noah played Beginning of the End but was too shocked to recognize it then).

"Since when was Alice in Wonderland home to Dark monsters?" Leon asks. "I thought they were more into the Light attribute."

"Wonderland was a world dreamed by Alice," Noah answers. "And most dreams take place when one sleeps at night."

"Alice dreamed of Wonderland in the _afternoon_ ," Leon retorts.

"But Wonderland does have dark moments like the Queen and her 'obsession' with beheadings,Noah chuckles. "But don't worry; the Queen I am about to summon is much less violent than her Wonderland counterpart."

"Wait... you don't mean…"

"I activate...Eighth Square Promotion!"

Noah's Spell Card shows an interesting image. Like previous cards that hold illustrations from _Alice in Wonderland_ , it is no different. It depicts Alice near the end of _Through the Looking Glass_ , eyes wide as jewels as she kneels on the grass with a large crown on top of her head.

But for Leon, who has played chess with his brother before his Fairytale Duel Monsters were even conceived, he knows that this is the endgame.

"This card needs me to offer one Alice, Warden of Wonderland and half of my lifepoints," Noah explains. "But with that cost, I can coronate dear Alice into her true form. So rise Alice Liddell, as I pronounce you as Alice, Queen of Mirrorland!"

 **(Leon: 4100) - - - - - - - (Noah: 1900)**

The Spell Card transforms into a beautiful crown that floats onto Alice's head. Then, a collection of golden sparkles gently shower down on her as her hunting knife grows into a gold ornate staff topped with the head of a horse, her traditional blue dress with white pinafore now an elegant gown with red and white squares trailing the bottom of the skirt and her hair topped with a crown bejeweled with rubies and diamonds. (2400 ATK)

"...Even if she's queen, she's not that strong." Leon forces out, sensing that the monster is stronger than her appearance suggests.

"Not yet," Noah admits. "But as Queen of Wonderland, she draw strength from her subjects. So if I were to Banish a monster like...The Jabberwocky…"

Leon's eyes widen as Queen Alice now has 5000 Attack Points, the Queen unleashing a wicked grin as she prepares her staff.

"Off with his head!" Noah states.

And in that instant, as Alice unleashes a blast of red and white magic from her staff, and he is knocked flat on his back, Leon knows that this is checkmate.

 **(Leon: 0) - - - - - - - (Noah: 1900)**

"Impossible…" Leon gasps, hand on his heart as he drops to his knees. Noah chuckles as the holograms vanish.

"I win," he states, pulling out a card from his deck. "And, as we agreed, you belong to me now."

Leon struggles to stand up, panting for breath as he watches Noah raise a card into the air. Soon, Leon sees a large brain in-between two ghostly green hands. He gasps.

"W...what are you going to do to me?" Leon asks, slowly trying to back away.

"In case you haven't noticed," Noah begins. "I am the ruler of Wonderland, but the Looking Glass Kingdom is in dire need of a king. Or in this case...a _prince_." At the word, Leon trembles, making Noah's grin grow wider as he adds, "But don't worry. Alice and I will be here to help you keep an eye on the place. Think of what I am giving you as a _promotion_ to a new and better life."

And then, the green hands fly toward their prey. Leon shields himself with his arms crossed in front of his face as a red glowing tattoo manifests from his right arm, projecting a barrier that sends the hands flying back.

"What trickery is this?" Noah gasps, seeing the tattoo take the shape of a dragon's claw.

When the light fades, Leon begins to run...back to the entrance to this world, back to reality…

Back to his older brother to get some reinforcements.

He doesn't get far, though. As he reaches the signpost for the directions toward the houses of the Mad Hatter and March Hare, one hand grabs the back of his shirt, lifts him into the air and then spins him around so that the other hand can easily reach into his mind.

 _Siegfried!_ Leon thinks as the hand begins to burrow its gruesome fingers into his head. _Save me! Save us! Please save…_

He gasps as he feels his mind slipping away, any and all coherent thought drifting off as the hand continues its mission, until Leon completely stops struggling and his eyes glaze over. As he falls unconscious, he can only think of one thing.

 _Please...save Alice…_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

In his office, Siegfried von Schroeder is tongue-tied.

The reason for this is because he is about to say something important to his childhood sweetheart.

Mache, a woman of grace, elegance, an eye for detail and a head full of bright ideas that she uses for her fashion line and children's books, stands in front of him wearing a pink, purple and yellow dress with long sleeves that hide her hands that all invokes the image of a butterfly. She smiles at him, a smile that can easily be found in the most mischievous of fairies but hold as much warmth from one of a caring mother, as Siegfried prepares to pop the question.

This has been a long journey in the making.

It all starts when the two are children at a dinner party. Siegfried is eight-years-old at the time and Mache is a year younger. He does not play with the other children though; he shyly hides under a table and Mache approaches him as to ask why he is not having fun. When young Siegfried does not answer, Mache comes up with a solution.

He is hiding from the hideous trolls that gobble up children like him.

And somehow that chance encounter blooms into a relationship. It starts small, just having Mache send crayon pictures of the two of them playing with fairies or a handmade bracelet via mail. Then it becomes jewelry and a confession pinned to a new suit. Throughout this time, even as his parents push him to take over the family business, Mache is always by his side. He can recall the rare occasions that he, her and Leon spend time reading stories of fairy tales and imagining the sort of strange creatures that roam about. Never in his wildest dreams can he imagine a life without her.

Unfortunately, like all secret romances, his parents discover his love for the fairy-like girl and eventually forbid her from seeing him, proclaiming that her presence is "unblessed". Siegfried is pushed to rise to the top and that failure is not an option. His heart breaks as he thinks of being unable to see Mache again.

But Mache has two characteristics that will eventually being Siegfried to Domino City. The first is her imagination, which plays out in her dual jobs where she designs clothes and writes stories.

The second characteristic is her unwavering faith in the man she fell in love with all those years ago.

Soon, a scandal involving their father in a money laundering business has Siegfried and Leon leaving Germany to be with Mache, who has her own apartment in Domino City where they can be at home. There, Siegfried begins working on what will eventually become his contribution to the gaming community.

While Leon learns how to hack into computer systems and practice his dueling skills, Mache helps Siegfried create a game series that involves fantasy, roles and, most of all, endless possibilities that happens when one rolls the dice. One that keeps expanding, telling the age-old fights of light against darkness and dreams versus reality. A game that has its genesis underneath a table.

The game is known as Monster World.

After endless tests, sleepless nights playing out scenarios, research through famous works of fiction and sketches that can give anyone carpal tunnel, the game is released two years after Mache decides that she will follow her heart to be with Siegfried. The game becomes a success and Schroder Corp. obtains more positive publicity than it has for a long time. During an interview, Siegfried is asked about where the inspiration for the game came from.

His answer is this.

"This comes from a girl who, without having to, goes and comforts a boy hiding away from gruesome monsters who wish to devour his very flesh. This girl walks side by side with this boy and the two eventually leave their homes to journey into the unknown to see what they can create. The children fall in love with the unknown just as they fall in love with each other. And then…" he smiles. "Then, they create the world to their liking."

And it is that thought that brings him to where is now, on bended knee, about to ask Mache to be his lawfully wedded wife.

"Mache," he begins. He focuses on the speech he has rehearsed earlier this morning, one that he can recite with his eyes closed. "There have been countless artists who have had a muse to guide them. From classical literature authors F. Scott Fitzgerald and his first love, Ginerva King, to comic book writers like Stan Lee and his wife, Joan Lee. These relationships cause inspiration to bear fruit and makes what was once imaginary become real.

"Mache, when you found me hiding from children-eating goblins, I knew from that moment on that you would be my muse. But as time passed, muse was not the word to describe my true feelings for you. Our relationship has evolved into something more.

"So, my beloved Mache, I have only one question…"

He reaches into the pocket of his pants and pulls out a small velvet box. Mache is unable to say anything when Siegfried opens the top to reveal an engagement ring of a strawberry gold ring topped with a cluster of pink diamonds that form the shape of a six petal flower.

"Mache, Queen of the Fairies and Muse of Fantasy...will you marry me?"

Mache covers her mouth with a long sleeved hand before she lowers it and says one word.

"Yes."

The next few minutes has Siegfried slipping the ring on Mache's right finger (as per tradition in Germany) before he lifts her up and spins her round and round, both of them laughing like they are young kids on an adventure. However, their happiness is short lived when he hears a voice.

 _Siegfried!_

The pink haired man gasps as he sits down and places a hand on his forehead. "Leon...what…."

 _Save me! Save us! Please save…_

Siegfried stays quiet as he waits for his brother's mind link to send him another message while Mache looks on in concern. Then, after a tense minute or two, Leon's final message rings in his brother's mind.

 _Please...save Alice…_

Then, all is silent.

"What's happened, Siegfried?" Mache asks immediately, helping her future husband stand up. Siegfried looks at Mache with concern.

"Leon is gone," he whispers softly. "He is in the clutches of Wonderland now."

Mache gasps as Siegfried pulls out his cellphone and calls a number. Placing the phone to his ear he waits for the person in the other line to ask "Hello?" before speaking.

"Seto," Siegfried begins. "I have some very bad news. My brother has been compromised."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

When he wakes up hours later, it feels like he has awoken from dream.

Prince Leonhart opens his eyes and finds himself in a pristine, white bedroom. He looks in confusion at the four poster bed covered in white drapes, the immaculate white walls, the white furniture, everything white as snow…

Except for the girl with black hair and blue dress with white pinafore staring at him while holding a tray of steaming mushroom soup with a slice of garlic bread for dunking, a bowl of dandelion salad and a goblet of sparkling grape juice in her hands. She sets the food down on a glass table.

"You're finally awake," the girl exclaims, wrapping her arms around him tight. "Are you all right? You _do_ remember me, correct?"

Prince Leonhart closes his eyes as he tries to recall what happened before he blacked out. Then, like a flash of lightning, he remembers.

"Of course I remember you, Alice," he answers. "But why am I here in the Shining Palace?"

"You were found unconscious at the crossroads to the Mad Hatter and March Hare. I was on my way for a tea party when I found you and decided to bring you here for rest. You know better than to be sleeping at a place like that."

"As long as I wasn't robbed then all is well," Prince Leonhart smiles, glad to find his memory is in order. He notices the food, realizing he hasn't eaten in quite some time. "Did you cook this for me?"

"Of course!" Alice smiles as she drags Leonhart out of bed. "Now come on, the sooner you eat, the sooner we can do all sorts of things like dance, or go out to play croquet or cards with Noah." she pauses as she considers her words. "Like Go Fish and Old Maid."

"All right, I'm coming," says Leon, seating himself on the sofa. He doesn't seem worried at all. Things feel normal here. Everything is right in the world.

He begins to eat as Alice watches on.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **ALICE, THE WARDEN OF WONDERLAND (Monster Card)**

Fairy/Dark/Effect/Level 4/1,300 ATK/1,000 DEF

Effect:

When this face-up Monster is attacked by an opponent's Monster with 2,000 ATK or less, toss one coin and call it. If you call it right, negate the attack.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **THE JABBERWOCK (Monster Card)**

Dragon/Dark/Effect/Level 7/2,600 ATK/2,000 DEF

Effect:

When this card is face-up on your side of the field, your opponent cannot select "Alice, the Warden of Wonderland" as an attack target.

 _Note: The preceding two cards was created by 0ccam's Razor and first appeared in his fic, "YuGiOh Jr: Legacy of the Duelist". Creative credit goes to him._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **HEART GUARD (Monster Card)**

Warrior/Dark/Effect/Level 5/1,000 ATK/1,000 DEF

Effect:

This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "Spade Guard", 1 "Club Guard", and 1 "Diamond Guard" from your hand or deck. **  
**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
**

 **SPADE GUARD (Monster Card)**

Warrior/Dark/Level 3/1,000 ATK/500 DEF

Card Description:

 _They serve as manual laborers for the Queen of Hearts on most occasions, but can still wield a weapon if they have to._ **  
**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
**

 **CLUB GUARD (Monster Card)**

Warrior/Dark/Level 3/1,000 ATK/500 DEF

Card Description:

 _The rank-and-file of the Queen's army. They are little more than grunts._ **  
**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
**

 **DIAMOND GUARD (Monster Card)**

Warrior/Dark/Level 3/1,000 ATK/500 DEF

Card Description:

 _A skilled fighter in the service of the Queen of Hearts. He is dedicated to his liege._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
**

 **QUEEN'S INVITATION (Spell Card)**

 **Normal Spell**

Image:

Tenniel's illustration of the Fish Footman presenting the Frog Footman with an envelope at the door of the Duchess's house, in black and white.

Card Description:

This card can be activated if 1 "Spade Guard", 1 "Club Guard", 1 "Diamond Guard", and 1 "Heart Guard" are in your Graveyard. Banish the above-named Monsters and Special Summon 1 "The Queen of Hearts" from your hand or deck. **  
**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
**

 **THE QUEEN OF HEARTS (Monster Card)**

Spellcaster/Dark/Effect/Level 9/3,400 ATK/2,400 DEF

Effect:

This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Queen's Invitation". If this card is destroyed as a result of battle, place 1 "Dark Heart Counter" on the Monster that destroyed it. A Monster with a "Dark Heart Counter" cannot attack, and the owner of the Monster loses 1,000 Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases.

 _Note: The preceding five cards were created by 0ccam's Razor and first used in his fic, "Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Messiah". Creative credit goes to him._ **  
**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **HUMPTY DUMPTY (Monster Card)**

Rock/Dark/Effect/Level 4/2,300 ATK/0 DEF

Effect:

After this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. This card's battle position cannot be changed until the end of your next turn, except with a card effect.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
**

 **VORPAL BLADE (Spell Card)**

Equip Spell

Image:

Tenniel's illustration of the "beamish" hero confronting the Jabberwock, in black and white.

Card Description:

Equip only to "Alice, the Warden of Wonderland". A Monster Equipped with this card gains 800 ATK. If a Monster on your field would be destroyed by the effect of a card that designates a target, you can destroy this card instead.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **MORALS FROM THE DUCHESS (Spell Card)**

 **Normal Spell**

 **Image:** Tenniel's illustration of Alice, still holding her flamingo from the croquet game, standing next to the Duchess, in black and white.

 **Card Description:** Look at the card on top of your opponent's deck and activate the corresponding effect based on whether it is a Spell, Trap, or Monster Card.

*Monster: Both players shuffle their decks and draw one card.

*Spell: Both players shuffle their decks and gain 1,000 Life Points.

*Trap: Both players shuffle their decks and take 1,000 points of direct damage.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **WHITE RABBIT (Monster Card)**

 **Beast/Dark/Tuner/Effect/Level 3/1400 ATK/900 DEF**

 **Effect:** If this card is used to Synchro Summon a monster, the summoned monster's attacks cannot be negated.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **THE RED KING (Monster Card)**

 **Spellcaster/Dark/Synchro/Effect/Level 10/4,000 ATK/3,000 DEF**

 **Card Description:** [1 Tuner monster + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters] During your Main Phase, you can destroy all cards on the field. When this card is destroyed, you can Special Summon 1 DARK monster with 2,000 or less ATK from your Graveyard.

 _Note: The preceding four cards were created by MultiplePersonas and first appeared in his fic, "Shadowchasers: Miscellaneous Files". Creative credit goes to him._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **MOUSE WITH A LONG TAIL (Monster Card)**

 **Beast/Dark/Level 4/700 ATK/2,000 DEF**

 **Card Description:** _This fellow has a long tale in regards to his history against cats. He also has a long tail that he is quite proud of._

 _This card first appeared in "Between My Brother and Me: Ab Antiquo"._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **EIGHTH SQUARE CORONATION (Spell Card)**

 **Equip Spell**

 **Image:** Tenniell's illustration of Alice kneeling on a patch of grass, her hands on the rim of a crown on top of her head.

 **Card Description:** Pay half of your lifepoints and send one "Alice, The Warden of Wonderland" on the field to the graveyard. Special Summon one "Alice, Queen of Mirrorland" from your hand or deck.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **ALICE, QUEEN OF MIRRORLAND (Monster Card)**

 **Fairy/Dark/Effect/Level 8/2400 ATK/1600 DEF**

 **Effect:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Eighth Square Promotion".Once per turn, you can Banish one Dark monster from your graveyard to increase the Attack of this monster equal to the Banished monster's own. When this monster is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, Special Summon one "Alice, the Warden of Wonderland" from your hand or graveyard.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Siegfried: It's just as I feared. Now my brother has been taken by that nightmare.**

 **Mache: There has to be something we can do.**

 **Seto: I have a suggestion; it involves getting outside help.**

 **Siegfried: We already tried that and look where it's got us!**

 **Seto: Trust me on this-I know exactly who to call.**

 **Serena: So you want us to venture through Wonderland, eh? Count me in! Next time, 3rd Dream - "Leaving Tonight".**

 **Siegfried: I honestly hope you know what you're doing.**

 **Seto: We have no other choice, now do we?**


	4. Leaving Tonight

_**Ok, has anyone out there ever seen that movie (or read the book) known as "The Pagemaster"?**_

 _ **It's about a boy so scared of everything, always calculating risks and putting way too much safety gear on him, until one day he ends up hiding in a library to escape the rain. Then, he somehow ends up in the world of classic literature and joined by anthropomorphic books named Adventure, Fantasy and Horror in his quest to reach the exit all while battling various characters from fiction (like Mr. Hyde and Captain Ahab) in an attempt for this kid to face his fears.**_

 _ **I always thought that it was a very interesting concept, but also wondered if it was a one time thing or if the omniscient Pagemaster did this to other children. I would absolutely**_ _ **love**_ _**to enter the world of Goosebumps as a visitor if possible, but I highly doubt that the books were 'educational' (then I would need access to a Magic Treehouse for that, right?) than they are wicked awesome.**_

 _ **But unlike the works of R.L. Stine, where you can never tell what happens next (or, in some cases, what happens at**_ **all** _ **) until the very last page, Wonderland is a world one can easily navigate without ever getting lost.**_

 _ **However, in order to save Mokuba, I'm gonna have to lose myself to the madness of Wonderland if I ever plan on getting him back.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **3rd Dream**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Leaving Tonight**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"It's relaxing time!" Serena cheers, sitting on the couch in Millefeui and Kanata's living room. She picks up the remote control to easily navigate their Netflix to play an episode of _The Haunting Hour_. "We finally got those tarts baking, the cookies frosted, sandwich ingredients are prepped for tomorrow, the eggs are deviled, and our pizza will be delivered in…" She checks her watch that depicts black curls of smoke and a full moon on the watch's face. "Five minutes. Life is _good_."

"It's too bad Mokuba couldn't join us, though," Haruka notes, watching Serena decide on episodes. "I hope dad wasn't too hard on him."

Masato chuckles as he opens a can of Dr. Pepper. "He'll get over it. After all, not everyone can calmly face the wrath of Seto Kaiba and live to tell the tale."

Haruka smiles as she opens a large bag of tortilla chips and dumps them into a bowl. She then notices the girl sitting next to her, setting a tray of assorted dips onto the table.

"So, which episode will it be?" asks Kanata, who leans close to Haruka and hands her a bowl of freshly made guacamole. Haruka smiles and dips a tortilla chip into it. "Can we watch 'Uncle Howee' or 'My Imaginary Friend' again?"

"I think we should watch 'Funhouse'," Millefeui suggests, dipping her tortilla chip into a bowl of pre-made salsa to her left. "Or perhaps we can see 'The Girl in the Painting' or 'My Old House', I absolutely _loved_ 'A Brush with Madness' or maybe we'll choose 'Dreamcatcher', 'Catching Cold', 'Intruders'..."

"Just pick something and let's watch before something ruins the moment!" Serena exclaims.

And three seconds later, a phone call does exactly that.

Serena picks up her phone (which is playing the opening to _Are You Afraid Of The Dark?_ ) and answers it. "Hello? What? You...no, I haven't seen him since we left school...yes, I'm _fully aware_ of what he was wearing at the time...wait, put this on speaker? _Now_?"

Her friends watch as Serena sets the phone down and nervously presses the speaker button. The voice that comes out startles everyone.

"This is Seto Kaiba speaking," it says.

"Kaiba?!" Millefeui repeats. "What do you want with us? If it's about that mushroom soup last time, mom changed the recipe so-"

"I'm calling you because I need your help," Seto interrupts. "My brother has gone missing, and I can't search for him alone."

"What do you mean?" asks Haruka. "I mean, can't you hire some private investigator for this?"

"This is an...unusual kidnapping case," Seto answers after an uneasy silence. "I can't explain it right now, so please meet me at the address I'm texting you in one hour's time. I'll be waiting.

"Oh and one more thing, bring your decks and Duel Disks. Trust me on this."

The phone hangs up as the five children look at one another. Then, Serena sees her phone beep (this time, it plays a strand of the _Goosebumps_ TV show's theme) and looks at the new message on it with confusion.

"The Black Forest Magic Shop?" she says aloud, her four friends looking at Serena as if she has grown a second head. "But that place is said to be run by a witch and those weird Kageyama sisters. Why would Kaiba ask us to meet him _there_ of all places?"

"This is getting stranger and stranger by the minute," says Kanata. "Haruka, what about trying one of your Tarot readings? Do you think you can see what's going to happen? Or about where Mokuba might be?"

"I suggest we get the facts from Kaiba first before jumping to conclusions," Millefeui says, pulling her deck out from the pocket of her apron. "Serena, did Mokuba ever mention anything about his brother associating with magic or witches?"

Serena shakes her head. "This'll be the first time I heard of something like this...well, aside from what he told me back at school of his brother visiting supernatural locations. Of course, there's no way Kaiba would be interested in stuff like this...right?"

Then, the doorbell rings, catching their attention.

"That must be the pizza," says Haruka, not needing to be a psychic to know what that means. "Let's eat then head off-we're gonna need lots of energy for tonight."

"We better figure out how to explain this situation to mom and dad when we go get our Duel Disks," Masato adds. "I mean, why else would a kid be dueling at night anyhow?"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

In her bedroom, a young girl in a white dress and blue pinafore hides behind her babysitter, a tall boy with short purple hair wearing grey pajamas, as they watch _Spirited Away_ on a laptop. They are at the scene where the protagonist, Chihiro, has learned that her parents have transformed into a pair of pigs. The look of horror on Chihiro's face matches the one on the girl watching the movie.

"T .. that's so scary…" The girl whispers as the babysitter holds her tight. "Chihiro will make it out safe and sound...right, Reiji?"

"She will, Molly," says Reiji. "And she'll get her parents back, too."

"Really? She will?"

Reiji chuckles. "Oops. Spoilers…"

Molly giggles before she hears someone else joining in. She gasps and turns around to find Kamitsure leaning by the doorway.

"Having a good time?" The older woman asks.

"I am, Kamitsure-san!" Molly answers. "How was your date with Korni nee-chan?"

"It was fantastic," Kamitsure answers as Reiji pauses the video. "But you know what would be _more_ fantastic?"

Molly tilts her head and thinks for a minute or two before Kamitsure gives the answer.

"You, Reiji, Jun and Shooti are going on a field trip tonight," she answers. "Bel and I will explain everything in the main hall so get your Deck and Duel Disk ready, okay?"

"Can I use the Deck I got for my birthday?" Molly's eyes light up at the thought of using the new deck she received from her pen pal and the cute monsters in them.

"Of course," says Kamitsure. "Now don't be too long, sweetheart. I'll be waiting."

As she walks off, Molly rushes to a desk near her bed and pulls a drawer out. She looks at a deck in a box filled with pink tissue paper and smiles, all while Reiji frowns.

 _Why do I get the feeling that it's gonna be a long night?_ He thinks to himself.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"And you're sure that's what we're looking at, Lily?"

"I never lie about such things, Seto. You know that."

Seto lets out a long sigh as he watches the witch, Lily, place her hands over the object on the table, her eyes concentrating on the energies that are contained within it. On a normal occasion, he will usually try to uncover the information he needs all by himself, but his brother trapped in Wonderland as a plaything and Leon unable to save him changes the occasion to one of dire need.

After planning everything out with Siegfried and Natsume, the last part is to find someone capable of opening a portal to the Nightmare Realm and to ask someone to enter it, uncover the truth about Wonderland and solve the mystery of the comatose students.

Finding someone to create the portal is where the Black Forest Magic Shop comes in.

Seto Kaiba learned of this shop indirectly, when he bumped into the shy violet-haired girl named Risa Kageyama, from the Black Rose School for Girls, who stated how she had a huge crush on him. He immediately smelled a trap, but decided to humor her by "reciprocating" her feelings and by handing her Duel Monster cards whenever they met - her eyes once lit up at the Witch's Apprentice he gave her, never mind how commonplace that card is - and promising more and more cards as time went by.

In truth, the cards held a tracking spell that would lead Seto, Defender of Domino Below, to Rise and her sisters, apprentice witches who held gatherings at the Black Forest Magic Shop once a week under their teacher that they seemed to fawn over (not unlike the romance in _Mädchen in Uniform_ as Siegfried noted when he learned the story). He watched in silence as he discovered how Risa, Rise and Ritsu were, in actuality, descendants of the Weird Sisters, who offered prayers to Hecate in order to learn more about witchcraft and wizardry.

Naturally, the sisters weren't happy to learn how they were deceived by Seto Kaiba when he showed up one day reading one of their teacher's sacred tomes, nor how he was interested in magic as much as they were (but more for practical reasons like learning a sleeping spell to help whenever he suffers from insomnia). They immediately brought out their whips to strike him down, and only survived a retaliation from his Blue Eyes White Dragon thanks to their teacher striking a deal: Seto has access to the Black Forest Magic Shop whenever he needs it (but only for extreme circumstances, not for hexing a business rival he dislikes) and, in exchange, he is to provide the Kageyama sisters with information in regards to Domino Below denizens who might be causing trouble so they don't interfere with the lives from those in Domino City (and also to keep the girls' identities as Weird Sisters descendants a secret).

Seeing as both sides had no choice, they agreed to the deal. A rocky deal, but a deal.

Before Seto entered the shop, he sent a message to the sisters to help infiltrate the Arcadia Movement - a place the three despise and for good reason - while he asked for help from their teacher, the very same girl in front of him who is, in reality, Hecate, Goddess of Witchcraft.

The auburn haired girl, going under the name of Lily, dressed as a witch one usually thinks of if they are asked to (although Lily is actually much older than she appears; she likes to appear as a child since it makes her much more approachable), wipes the sweat off her brow with the back of her arm before trying to concentrate once more. Before she can, someone entering the shop, indicated by the tinkling of a few bells, stops her.

"Hello?" asks Serena, looking around. The walls are a shade of purple with shadows painted on them to resemble a forest at night. There is a shelf filled with tomes of magic alongside a copy of _Macbeth_ and children's books (from authors like Roald Dahl to J.K. Rowling) and two or three shelves filled with magical ingredients (and some containers of tea) while hanging above her head are tiny crystals that shine like stars. Out of the corner of her eye, Serena thinks she spots a Ritual Raven staring at her. Was it really the right thing to follow those instructions? "Um, we got a text telling us to come here?"

"Over here, darlings!" says Lily, approaching the five with a smile on her face. She looks at Serena, tilting her head this way and that as the others look in awe (and gasp at actually seeing Seto Kaiba in a place such as this). "So, you were the one who was wearing…"

"...My jacket!" Serena gasps, seeing the item on the table. She pushes Lily out of the way and practically lunges toward the table, taking the jacket into her hands. She inspects it from every angle, turning it forwards and backwards before she places the jacket back on, zips it up, turns to Seto and grabs his shoulders, demanding, "Where did you find it?!"

"It was found along with a backpack at Domino Park," Lily answers, ushering Serena's friends to some chairs (which move across the shop like a pack of curious puppies so that Lily can easily return to her seat). "Kinda unusual for a jacket without a body to show up in the open; especially a jacket that the borrower knows how valuable it is."

"Hell yeah it's valuable," Millefeui comments, slightly unnerved about the strangeness of the place. "It was a gift given to her by her older brother."

Seto raises an eyebrow at Serena. "I always thought you were an only child."

"I am currently, but I had an older brother once," Serena answers calmly, adjusting the bill of her hat so it obscures her eyes before she takes a seat next to her friends. She crosses one leg over another and folds her arms. "But that's not important right now. So, why are we here?"

"Mokuba's missing," Seto begins.

"You told us already," Kanata notes. "But why did you ask us to come to this place instead of, I don't know, your mansion? Why aren't we out searching for him?"

"And why ask a witch for help instead of the police?" Haruka inquires. "Why all of this mystical stuff? I mean, your brother always told us that you don't care about it at all, but why ask us to meet at a _magic shop_ of all places?"

Lily sighs before she pulls out a wand from her cloak and waves it in the air. From the bookshelf, a book flies toward her like a bird before landing on the table.

"Whoa…" The children gasp. Lily smiles; she loves the look on people's faces when she demonstrates her magic.

"I suppose we have some explaining to do," says Lily. "But we have to be brief since Mokuba is…" she looks at Seto before she states, "Not here at the moment. Seto, if you will…"

The CEO nods his head as he places a hand over his left eye. A few seconds later, he lowers his hand to reveal that his eye is no longer blue. In fact, it looks like a mixture of blue and white, and shines like a diamond reflecting moonlight.

"W... what's up with your eye?" Masato stammers. "Why is it…."

"To make a long story short," Seto begins. "I have been blessed with the Eye of Illusion that lets me project images to make them feel real and I use them to fight off monsters while in disguise. Like so."

He stands up and a white glow envelops him. When it dies down, the children gasp as they see Seto now wearing a helmet shaped like the head and upper jaw of a white dragon with a long mane of red hair that falls to his waist, long black gloves, and his blue coat now silver that reflects the lights from the crystals above. Strapped to his left arm is a Duel Disk shaped like a white dragon head and the tray is a white dragon's wing.

The five children look in surprise, and there is silence before Haruka finds the power to speak.

"No way…" she gasps, pointing a trembling finger at him. "You're...you're…Kaibaman? As in that night warrior who fights off those monsters beneath the city?"

The others share Haruka's look of disbelief. There have been rumors spread by various students at school about the figure dubbed "Kaibaman" due to people seeing how the masked vigilante holds the Blue Eyes White Dragons and wears the trademark silver duster the CEO is well known for. Of course, not a lot of people believe these stories since there is no way Seto Kaiba has time to dress up and play superhero. But as time passed, it was like his presence could be felt throughout the city to the point one is insane to **not** believe in him.

Word spreads quickly online too, and people begin to tell stories and create fanart of this mysterious protector that make many believe he was like a real-life _Kamen Rider_ who fights using Duel Monsters and rides a dragon instead of a motorcycle.

When word eventually reaches Seto Kaiba, he decides to "humor" the fans with a special Duel Monsters card of said hero (only usable by him since it involves summoning the Blue Eyes White Dragons) and jokes at how a series of his alter-ego's adventures is currently in the works.

This immediately causes the Internet to explode and sign a petition to have a series be commissioned and, once the series actually premieres online, while it isn't really starting Kaiba himself, his "alter-ego's" popularity skyrockets and more fans follow him. One of these fans is the actor for fellow superhero show, Different Dimension ESPer Robin, who once stated that he would love to fight side-by-side with this White Dragon Warrior of Justice.

Naturally, the shock of learning that Kaiba is actually this legendary urban superhero causes the children to look at each other in stunned silence as they wrap their brains at the simple fact that Seto Kaiba is in front of them as the fabled Kaibaman and asking for their help. It Is absolutely and undeniably hard to believe.

But, as the adage goes, "Seeing is believing".

Seto ignores the looks of shock and sits down on the chair once more, head lowered so the small eyes on his dragon helm stares at them.

"I use this form to investigate things that happen in Domino Below," Seto begins, just as Serena raises a hand. "It's the underground part of the city where Duel Monsters and other related supernatural beings reside, but there are also normal people there too…" Serena lowers her hand. "Do any of you follow 'Chasing Shadows?'"

"Um duh," says Kanata with a roll of her eyes. "It's, like, only _the_ most popular blog in regards to cool Duel Monsters based articles and strange supernatural happenings in Domino City." She pauses. "Wait...are you…"

"No, he's not the creator, nor an editor, of the blog," Lily answers. "He just follows it and uses the articles and forums to help in his detective work, like the incident with those coma victims."

"We know many of the victims come from ISDC," says Masato. "But we don't know why, or how, it's been happening."

Seto sits down and sighs as he glances at the book Lily summoned... _Alice in Wonderland_. Specifically, it depicts the illustration of Alice's chat with the Cheshire Cat who states to Alice that "they're all mad here".

"What you're about to hear is highly confidential," Seto begins. "This information stays inside the shop. Understand?"

"We will once you tell us what's going on," Serena answers. "What's happened to Mokuba?"

"Mokuba has fallen into Wonderland," Lily explains. "He followed someone acting as the White Rabbit, just like all the other victims did, and now he sleeps there and can't wake up."

There is silence as the five children look at her, at Seto, then at each other.

Five seconds later, they are laughing, clutching their stomachs and falling off of their chairs.

"Okay," says Haruka in-between laughs. "I have done _plenty_ of Tarot readings before and none of them come close to _this_ level of craziness. You expect us to believe that Mokuba is somehow trapped in _Wonderland_?"

"...Yes." Seto answers.

That very answer is what causes the five to stop laughing and look at Seto as if he has grown another head. Lily quickly clears her throat.

"Wonderland is a place that Lewis Carroll brought to life and has been the stage for various dreamers to enter and create to their liking. Unlike most worlds in the Nightmare Realm-" Kanata raises a hand. "A place that leads to multiple worlds unlike our very own." Kanata lowers her hand. "Wonderland has various citizens that guide the dreamer from the minute they go down the Rabbit Hole to when they end up at court telling the Queen of Hearts and her subjects that they're nothing but a pack of cards.

"Recently, Wonderland has been refusing to awaken those who end up there, and the rate of the people falling into comas here in Domino has increased exponentially...as if they are trying to find a specific person."

"And that person could be Mokuba," says Millefeui, putting everything together. "Now the only question is...why him?"

"The only way to figure that out is by entering Wonderland," says Seto. "I would go there myself, but I risk exposing myself to Wonderland's ruler and they would kick me out before I set foot."

"So you want us to go find him and bring him back up here?" asks Serena, seeing where this is going.

"And save all of those trapped alongside him," Seto adds. "This will be dangerous and I can't guarantee that you'll all make it out safely. I only ask you five because you're my brother's closest friends. So...will you help?"

The five are silent as they think it over. Then, Serena nods her head.

"Mokuba is our friend, first and foremost," she begins. "And if the great Seto Kaiba is asking us for help, how can I refuse?"

"And wherever Serena goes, I go," Millefeui adds. "No way I'm letting her go out to a creepy world all by herself."

"I'm going with you, nee-chan," says Kanata, raising a hand. "Haruka, are you joining?"

"Who am I to refuse an adventure like this?" Haruka smiles. "What about you, Masato?"

"Someone need to keep you girls in line," Masato grins, standing up as he looks at his Duel Disk. "Plus, I have some new cards that I wanted to try out. What better way to do that than in Wonderland?"

"That's the spirit," says Lily, standing up. "But before we can let you go, we need to make sure you five are truly prepared for this. We already sent someone to retrieve Mokuba a few hours ago, but he's been compromised. We don't want you five to suffer that fate."

"We'll be fine," Serena states confidently as she stands up. "So, you want to duel one of us to see what we little girls (and boy) are made of?"

"That's the idea," Lily giggles, waving her wand once more. Something speeds through the shop and lands on the table: a deck of Duel Monsters cards. "I want to challenge what _Chasing_ _Shadows_ are calling the 'Ghostrick Girl'."

"That's me," Serena smirks as she adjusts her cap. "So, I'm famous now?"

"No one's ever tamed those monsters into leaving the Old Mansion before. All who tried were scared off by them and their pranks. What makes _you_ so special that they follow your every command?"

"It's kinda complicated to explain in words. So, let me show you with my dueling skills. I _will_ give you a warning though," Serena smirks as she activates her Duel Disk and draws five cards (all while Seto moves his chair to the side) as Lily shuffles her deck and places it on the table.

"Duelist beware... you're in for a scare!"

"Not bad," Lily laughs as she draws her five cards. "Don't mind me as to why I have no Duel Disk. My magic is powerful enough to summon my monsters without the use of one. And if we're talking about battle cries, then here's mine.

"Let the circle be unbroken!"

"Let's duel!" The two duelists shout.

 **(Serena: 8000) - - - - - - - (Lily: 8000)**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

" _I know (I know) you belong_

 _To somebody new_

 _But tonight_

 _You belong to me."_

"I love this song," Alice sighs as she wraps her arms around Noah, the song playing on a phonograph. They dance in the ballroom, just as white as the other rooms in the castle as Leonhart looks on. He feels slightly jealous at how Alice is so focused on Noah, but knows better than to act on those feelings. He is just happy that Alice has found love after she landed in Wonderland a long time ago.

Noah sweeps his Alice off of her feet as the song continues. His plan is working perfectly...all he needs is Alice to _truly_ want to stay here and then, he will be happy.

"This is so much fun," Alice says with a bright smile on her face as the song continues. "I wish we can always do this, Noah."

"We will, Alice," Noah replies. "But first, we should check up on everyone in Wonderland. They need to know that Alice has returned."

"And what about Prince Leonhart?" Alice turns to the Red Prince sitting off to the side all alone. "Can he come along too?"

"I wish I could, but Mirrorland needs to know that I have arrived, and I need to ensure that the Lion and Unicorn aren't tearing up the town again," Prince Leonhart answers. "I have been gone too long from my kingdom and must return for the time being. Fear not, I will return for you soon enough."

"I wish you a safe journey back," says Alice, "I truly miss it when you are away."

"Take Hart, my friend," says Noah. "The boy can take you to Mirrorland the fastest. He knows the roads better than I do."

"I will," says Prince Leonhart, bowing towards his closest friends. "Take care."

The Red Prince walks off as Noah slips his hand into Alice's own, a cat-like grin on his face as he places a kiss on her cheek.

"Where shall we start?" Alice giggles.

"Let's begin at the beginning," says Noah. "And we'll go until we reach the end, then stop. We should have a look-see at the gatekeeper and see if he would like some grilled cheese sandwiches to pass the time."

Alice smiles as the two race out of the ballroom and into one of the castle's many kitchens.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"All right then," says Serena, drawing a card. "I'll start off with one face-down monster and end it at that."

"That's your opening move?" asks Lily, drawing her card. "Well then, two can play at that game."

As she says this, she plays a face-down monster and a card behind that on the table. Surprisingly, large representations materialize in front of Lily, causing Serena's friends to gasp.

"This is mild compared to what I can _really_ do, children," Lily boasts. "I can whip up a storm that sends a ship flying in the air. I can make it rain fire for ten days straight should one anger me. I can summon a demon with enough power to boil an ocean. I can make the Earth rise up and swallow unsuspecting victims whole. And I know as many charms as I know the true names of the monsters that lurk in the shadows. I am a witch in every sense of the word."

When she speaks, she appears older than her child-like appearance gives away, causing everyone to look at her in awe. After a moment, someone speaks up.

"But if that's the case, why settle in a place like Domino City?" asks Kanata.

"Domino is one of those 'hot spots' for magic, second only to Egypt and perhaps Atlantis if it was still around today," Lily explains, eyes growing stern to reflect the goddess she truly is. "I have gazed into the future and have seen that, in a short while, kings and gods will fight for supremacy and the Gates shall open once more... all of this will take place in this very city."

"What Gates?" asks Haruka. She, who is skilled in Tarot, has not been able to predict what Lily announced.

" _The_ Gates," answers Lily. "But that's another story. Moving on."

"Right…" says Serena, drawing a card. "And I'll start off with Dark Room of Nightmare."

"Ooh, I know what that means!" says Millefeui. "She's going for a Burn deck this time."

"'This time?'" Seto repeats.

"Ghostrick monsters have a lot of interesting gimmicks," Millefeui explains. "The main variations are a normal Ghostrick beat down, a Ghostrick Burn or a Ghostrick Mill deck."

"Correct, give her a prize everyone!" Serena chuckles. "Now, I'll Flip-Summon Ghostrick Warwolf so that he inflicts 100 points of damage for every face-down card on the field. Plus, Dark Room of Nightmare inflicts an additional 300 points every time you get hit by Effect Damage. So that's 500 points gone, but it's a start."

A loud howl echoes throughout the shop as Serena's monster appears. It is a werewolf standing on two legs with light brown fur, wearing a torn red shirt and dark blue pants. (1400 ATK) It snarls at Lily before running pass her face-down cards to slice her arm.

 **(Serena: 8000) - - - - - - - (Lily: 7500)**

"And next," Serena continues as Ghostrick Warwolf returns to her side. "I summon Ghostrick Mummy in Attack Mode!"

Rising from the ground is a sarcophagus which opens and reveals a mummy with dark blue skin and a big grin on his face. Upon seeing Ghostrick Warwolf, the mummy laughs and slaps his knee. (1500 ATK)

"Quite a lively specimen," says Lily, rubbing her chin in thought. "Reminds me of the one made by Colonel Stonesteel."

 _Stonesteel steals stones like Satoshi steels stones!_ Ghostrick Mummy guffaws before rolling around the floor, clutching his sides. Seto raises an eyebrow, both from how he can see and hear the mummy make his horrible pun and at how the mummy names Serena "Satoshi".

"Let me guess," he says to Serena. "Satoshi was the name of…"

Serena slowly nods her head, her voice soft as she begins to explain. "He was three years older than me. He loved exploring and wished he would always be a kid, spending his days doing fun stuff and sip Dandelion Wine whenever he wanted. But he died when I was only five, playing around in a haunted house in the last city we lived in before falling to his death after being dared to walk across a narrow beam in the attic. My mother and I moved to Domino City three years ago to start anew, because it was hard to live in a town where the person closest to your heart died."

Ghostrick Mummy lightly tugs some of his linen wrappings and hands them so Serena can wipe her tears away. Ghostrick Warwolf lets out a small whine like he is a puppy, drops to all fours and begs Serena for an ear scratch (which she gives).

"I didn't see him again until I was eight, after some punks from Team Skull threatened to rip all my cards in half after I lost a duel to them."

"Team Skull…" Lily mutters. "Members of that team lurk around Domino Below, but I know many of them are...incompetent at being threatening."

"That's because you have magic powers compared to two 3rd graders," Millefeui huffs. "And those punks, Tupp, Rapp and Zip as they called themselves, 'promised' to give Serena her deck back if she spent one full hour in the Old Mansion without screaming. So she was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"I ventured in and the door shut behind me," Serena continues. "At this point, I would have tried to escape but Millefeui was still out there, waiting for me. Thus I held my breath and explored the mansion, trying to show I wasn't afraid.

"I heard footsteps, ghostly moans, furniture being moved around and everything. But it wasn't until I fell down the stairs that I met with one of the two Ghostrick monsters that would lead me to believe in all of them."

Ghosted Mummy smiles as Serena recalls the memory.

"Then I was greeted by a boy around my age," Serena continues. "Whose eyes were covered by a cap, but his smile made me feel more comfortable. He introduced me to the Ghostrick monsters who love nothing more than scaring people, but fewer people were coming to the Mansion these days, so the monsters entertained themselves with cleaning and playing music. All they really wanted were friends.

"There were so many Ghostrick monsters who he introduced to me: from Warwolf who is human most of the time except for when the full moon shines, to others like my Jackfrost and Specter who like to pop out of boxes as a surprise, to Mary who stays in her mirror but can teleport to any reflective surface - even a cellphone or laptop because they're like black mirrors - and I immediately found myself dancing and having fun.

"Eventually it was time to leave, but the boy had two surprises for me: the first was this baseball cap," Serena points to the cap. "And the second one was the Ghostrick monsters. He told them that I would be their friend and to treat me well. So they did, and it was then I learned who that boy was…

"He was...my brother."

Seto stays silent as Serena closes her eyes, determined to not let anyone see the tears freely falling down her face.

"He had come to visit me one last time, to help me be brave and not to be afraid of the darkness. It was thanks to him that the Ghostrick monsters helped scare the pants out of Team Skull, returning my deck before they retreated. Millefeui was so relieved to see me and was sorry that she didn't have a deck to help fight with me. I told her it wasn't her fault and gave her the deck I braved the House of No Return to retrieve."

"And it's been mine ever since," says Millefeui, showing off her Duel Disk where a deck of cards is inside.

"When I told my mother all of this, she was quiet at first before she cried for about an hour," Serena finishes, wiping away her tears with more of Ghostrick Mummy's linen strips. "And after we lit incense for him, I found something on my bed...a jacket. _This_ jacket." She lightly tugs the jacket she is wearing. "Because as a ghost, Satoshi doesn't feel the cold, and he knew I would need one for when I got older. He always told me he wanted to wear a jacket like this when he would go out and travel, and now it's mine. Every time I wear it, I think of him... that's why it's really personal."

 _We see Satoshi and Serena as Serena sees Serena and Satoshi!_ Ghostrick Mummy says with a toothy grin (or at least, he does his best as he only has around three teeth left).

"They call me Satoshi to keep his memory alive," Serena explains, memories of her brother warming her heart. "And as long as I have these monsters, his cap, and his jacket, he's always here."

"...that was very informative and touching," says Lily after some consideration. She smiles. "I promise not to let anyone on _Chasing Shadows_ know about this. I can tell this is personal.

"Now, I noticed that your mummy is an Effect Monster. Just what does he do?"

"He's one of my big guns," says Serena. "He loves a great joke and a friend who can laugh at these jokes! This means that I can Normal Summon another Ghostrick monster while he's on the field.

"So, let's give a warm welcome to... Ghostrick Doll!"

A girlish giggle fills the air as a young girl with long pink hair, dressed in a cyan dress with a blue and white petticoat, alongside a pair of Mary Jane shoes, emerges next to Ghostrick Mummy. In her hands are a few flowers, and topping her head is a matching blue and white bonnet. If one looks closely at her "skin", they can see that the girl is made of bone china. (1200 DEF)

"She's so cute!" Lily coos. "I should have her help me with my potion making."

"She likes cleaning things," says Serena. "And her favorite things to do are making flower arrangements and passing flowers to people she cares about. Of course, if you want to know her effect, you're gonna have to wait.

"Now Ghostrick Mummy, attack her face-down card!"

Ghostrick Mummy runs toward the face-down card and shatters it with a punch...or would have if it did not reveal itself as a young boy with short brown hair wearing a tattered tan cloak, a Meda Bat on his shoulder, a dark curled staff in his hand and an extremely bored look in his eyes. (1500 DEF)

"Too bad," Lily notes. "That was my Dharc, the Dark Charmer. Not only is his defense tied with your mummy's attack, he can take control of any Dark monster you have."

"Not good!" says Haruka. "All of the Ghostrick monsters are Dark Attribute!"

Dharc smirks as his staff begins to glow. Ghostrick Mummy soon walks towards Lily's side of the field, groaning and acting like mummies commonly do on television and film, moaning and their arms in front.

"You took away his charm!" Serena exclaims, horrified. "But since I can't get him back, I'll play a face-down card and have Ghostrick Doll do some sprucing up. Ready?"

Ghosted Doll nods her head and floats toward Lily's monsters. She then carefully flips them face-down before she glides toward Ghostrick Warwolf and he becomes a face-down card, too. Finally, she spins once then becomes a face-down card.

"What was that all about?" asks Lily.

"At the end of my turn, Ghostrick Doll can set as many monsters as I want face-down," Serena explains. "And then, depending on how many cards she sets, I can Special Summon a Ghostrick monster from my deck face-down whose level is less than or equal to the number of cards she set.

"So with four monsters, I can summon a Level 4 or less Ghostrick monster. Fortunately for me, the highest level a Ghostrick monster can have is three so I can basically summon _any_ monster I want."

A face-down card appears between that of Ghostrick Warwolf and Ghostrick Doll as Lily draws her card.

"My move then," she says. "And first, I'll Flip-Summon both of my monsters."

Dharc and Ghostrick Mummy reveal themselves.

"Then I'm sacrificing them so I can unleash the full power of Familiar-Possessed Dharc!"

Dhar smirks as he raises his staff in the air. Ghostrick Mummy is absorbed into it as a black aura envelops the Dark Charmer. He grows taller while his Meda Bat becomes navy blue and his pupil turns into a slit. When the aura fades, an older Dharc stares at Serena with that same smirk. (1850 ATK)

"Aren't the Familiar-Possessed Charmers Level 4?" asks Masato. "Why would Lily have to sacrifice two monsters for it?"

"I'm glad you asked," Lily answers. "You see, if I Special Summon him by sacrificing his original self and a Dark monster, he gets two special effects. The first one is that I can take a Level 3 or 4 Light Spellcaster from my deck into my hand."

She picks up her deck, spreads out the cards, takes a card, then sets her deck back on the table.

"And he now gets a piercing effect that can penetrate your face-down monsters!"

"That's one of Serena's weaknesses!" Kanata exclaims. "And most of her monsters have low Defense scores to begin with!"

"Exactly!" Lily smirks. "But I'm not done yet. I activate my Trap Card, Unpossessed!"

A Continuous Trap Card flipped, revealing four Duel Monsters that Serena notes as a large fox, a bipedal alligator, Petit Dragon's green, fiercer cousin and that nefarious blue chubby winged squirrel surrounded by auras befitting their attributes. Familiar-Possessed Dharc chuckles.

"Here's what you need to know about this card, Serena," Lily explains. "First, my Charmers can't be destroyed in battle. And, when I have a Familiar-Possessed Charmer battle, they gain 800 Attack Points during the Damage Step.

"But enough talk, let me show you! Attack that unknown face-down card, Dharc!"

Familiar-Possessed Dharc raises his staff in the air, his attack score rising to 2650, as he unleashes a blast of darkness at the monster. Serena smirks, even as she loses lifepoints.

"You should have gone for Warwolf," she says.

 **(Serena: 6150) - - - - - - - (Lily: 7500)**

"What do you mean by that?" asks Lily.

Her question is answered by the face-down card revealing herself as a girl with white hair held back by a black and white headband with a snowflake (to emulate a flower) who wears a cyan kimono and dark blue obi. In her hands is a white bunny whose ears are black. (800 DEF)

"Ghostrick Yuki-onna!" Masato exclaims. The icy Ghostrick monster turns to Masato and winks at him. "Now Familiar-Possessed Dharc is put on ice!"

Ghostrick Yuki-onna inhales before exhaling an icy breath that causes Familiar-Possessed Dharc to transform into a face-down card with ice frosting the edges.

"Hey!" Lily exclaims. "What did you do to him?!"

"When Ghostrick Yuki-onna is destroyed, the monster who killed her is set face-down and _cannot_ be changed at all," Serena exclaims. "So, what do you plan next?"

Lily looks at her hand, then sets one monster and two more cards behind that.

 _Odd..._ Seto thinks to himself. _Why give Serena a chance to inflict damage to her lifepoints? Unless, Lily is lulling Serena into a sense of false security…_

 _She's making me believe she's not a threat..._ Serena thinks as she draws her card. _But I am_ not _letting an opportunity like this slip by._

Serena Flip-Summons Ghostrick Warwolf once more (1400 ATK) as the werewolf inflicts more damage to Lily's lifepoints combined with Dark Room of Nightmare.

 **(Serena: 6150) - - - - - - - (Lily: 6600)**

Then Serena Flip-Summons Ghostrick Doll as the pink-haired girl waves hello. (300 ATK)

"You know that attacking my monsters is pointless," Lily notes. "Your monsters are too weak."

"But what if I don't want to attack them?" says Serena. "First off, I activate my Trap Card, Xing Zen Hu to seal your face-down cards!"

Lily gasps as Serena's face-down card lifts, revealing a black jar topped by a strange box tied with string. A purple aura manifests from the card and wraps around Lily's face-down cards.

"Now you have to destroy my Trap Card before you can use these," Serena chuckles. "Wouldn't want any unexpected surprises and all…

"And now, let me have a change of scenery. Step right up, because we're now entering...Ghostrick Museum!"

A Field Spell card appears, showing Ghostrick Mummy being scolded by Ghostrick Witch over a shattered display case and artifact as three other Ghostrick monsters (Dullahan, Jiangshi and Skeleton) look on. The magic shop fades away and is immediately replaced with the layout of a museum. The two Ghostrick monsters look in curiosity at their surroundings.

"What does this place do?" Lily asks in confusion.

"Well, first off I can only attack with 'Ghostrick' monsters," Serena explains. "We can't target face-down monsters either, but we're allowed to attack directly if all of our opponent's monsters are face-down. However, any monster who attacks directly is immediately set face-down.

"So, I see that your monsters are set. That means…"

Ghostrick Warwolf howls as he swipes at Lily's arm while Ghostrick Doll just tosses a flower at the witch. Then, the two turn into face-down cards.

 **(Serena: 6150) - - - - - - - (Lily: 4900)**

"I'll set a card face-down and end it there."

"Serena's gonna win this!" Kanata cheers. "Right, Millefeui?"

"Kanata, remember that Ghostrick Museum acts as a double-edged sword," says Millefeui. "While Serena can freely attack Lily directly, Lily can do the same. And Lily has stronger monsters than Serena so, unless Serena thinks ahead, Lily will knock her out in two turns."

"Thanks for the prediction!" says Lily, drawing her card. "First off, I'll Flip-Summon Familiar-Possessed Lyna onto the field."

The face-down card reveals a teenage girl with white hair wearing a black top and matching pair of shorts, alongside two pouches strapped with belts. She also wears a tattered tan cloak, wields a staff similar to one Familiar-Possessed Dharc uses and her familiar is a fierce looking Happy Lovers. (1850 ATK)

"Since I summoned her like this, she gains no special ability," says Lily. "That's fine, since strength will be needed for this fight.

"Next, I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Xing Zen Hu and let me use my face-down cards again!"

Serena snarls as the blue tornado shatters her Trap Card.

"And now," Lily continues. "I'll play one of those face-down cards...otherwise known as the Ritual Spell Card, Doriado's Blessing!"

Thunderclouds begin to form as the face-down card for Familiar-Possessed Dharc fades away. Then, a beam of light shines through.

" _Maiden of light with the power of nature beneath her feet, let the powers of wind, fire, earth and water flow through to grant my opponent a solid defeat. Ritual Summon! Level 4! Rise, Elemental Mistress Doriado!"_

The light fades as a woman in a long blue cloak materializes, her hands clasped in prayer. Her long strawberry blonde hair is topped with a green dome-like headdress. (1400 DEF)

"Oh, this will be good," Seto snickers.

"What do you mean by that?" asks Masato, not liking the smirk the CEO is showing.

"Elemental Mistress Doriado has an ability that lets her count as five attributes," Seto explains. "She is normally a Light Monster, but she also has access to fire, water, earth and wind.

"Pop quiz: What card can you use if you have monsters of those four attributes?"

The four kids are silent as they think it over. Then, Kanata gasps.

"Oh no!" she says. "I heard of that card before. It's none other than…"

"Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan!" Lily finishes, flipping the card over. Then a samurai in dark armor appears, kneeling in between Serena and Lily's sides of the field.

"Oh no…" Serena gulps. "Does that thing have the power to destroy my monsters?"

"Yep!"

The armor begins to glow before lightning strikes down on Serena's face-down monsters and obliterates them. Lily chuckles as the armor vanishes.

"I'm not done yet," she says. "Now I'm going to Normal Summon Element Valkyrie onto the field in Attack Mode!"

Rising from a portal is a feminine warrior in a red and blue battle outfit consisting of a one-piece suit, fingerless gloves and boots. A silver winged helmet tops magenta hair tied to a long braid and she also wears a blue cape and wields a double-edged spear with one side lit by fire and the other with frost. Completing the look are her red and blue eyes. (1500 ATK)

"And when I have a Fire monster, like Doriado, my Valkyrie gets an additional 500 Attack Points!"

The fiery tip of Element Valkyrie's spear glows brighter as said Valkyrie smirks. (1500 -) 2000 ATK)

"This is gonna suck…" Serena grimaces, shielding herself with her Duel Disk.

"Not for me it won't!" Lily laughs. "Go forth, Lyna! Attack, my Valkyrie!"

Both female monsters nod their heads. Lyna, with her attack now at 2650, points her staff as a beam of light, combined with a burst of fire from Element Valkyrie's spear, swirl and charge towards Serena's side of the field, knocking the girl off of her feet and into a wall.

 **(Serena: 1500) - - - - - - - (Lily: 4900)**

"Serena!" Millefeui shouts. "Are you all right?!"

Serena groans as she sits up, feeling like her head is spinning.

"I think I now know why piano lessons can be murder…" she mutters deliriously, placing a hand on her forehead as she stands up.

"She's okay," Millefeui sighs in relief. "That's her way of showing it."

"So, while my mind is taking a Stop at Willoughby," Serena continues, shaking her head. "I'm activating my face-down card, Shock Draw!"

Serena's card lifts, revealing a duelist holding three cards being struck by lightning. Serena herself begins drawing cards.

"For every one thousand lifepoints I lost in battle, I get to draw one card," she explains, showing off four new cards. "I recently added this card due to how direct attacks are too good to resist for my opponent, and so that me taking large amounts of damage was worth it in the end "

"So you took nearly five thousand points of damage for a new hand?" Lily exclaims. She laughs. "You are quite interesting, Serena. "I can see why your brother chose well.

"That still won't save you though. I deliberately set Doriado in Defense Mode so that you have no choice but to attack her before you can touch my lifepoints. I end my turn."

 _Just try to attack Doriado. If you do, you'll just trigger my Magician's Selection card and be a sitting duck._ Lily smirks. _Come next turn, I win._

"You're trying to scare me, aren't you?" asks Serena, drawing one more card. "Well, let me tell you something, Lily…

"You can't scare me!"

She plays Monster Reborn as Ghostrick Mummy returns, letting out a yawn and stretches his arms to loosen his limbs. (1500 ATK)

"Normally, you can't Normal Summon a Ghostrick monster without having another on the field," Serena explains. "So Special Summons can be beneficial.

"And now, let me introduce a Ghostrick monster close to my heart, and the second half of the duo that opened my eyes to these lovable collection of Halloween spirits. I summon... Ghostrick Witch in Attack Mode!"

A witch-like cackle fills the air as a figure on a broomstick swoops down and gently lands near Ghostrick Mummy. It is a witch with long blond hair, her head topped with a black witch hat, her dress black and maroon with ribbons at the hem and her broom wrapped with a loop of string with starry beads. (1200 ATK)

 _It's a wonderful night for storm clouds. And a wonderful night for beasts!_ Ghostrick Witch recites. _It's a wonderful night for a Witch Night! Let the horrors now commence…_

 _I wouldn't stay home on a night like this for sixty dollars and sixty cents!_ Ghostrick Mummy finishes before the duo burst into laughter. Serena claps approvingly.

"Guess you two were watching _Halloween is Grinch Night_ , huh?" she says. Both monsters smile.

 _We wanted everything to be perfect, Satoshi!_ Ghostrick Witch answers. _Just look at our audience here and...Ooh…is that who I think it is?_

She says this to Seto, who feels awkward at how a young girl (in appearance; witches are older than they appear) rides her broomstick towards him and giggles, running a hand through the long red mane of his disguise. Meanwhile, Ghostrick Mummy looks in horror while Seto looks like he is about to strike someone down with a bolt of lightning.

 _I now know how Yeti feels…._ he groans, watching as hearts surround his close friend. Millefeui and Kanata try to shoot the young witch back to the duel.

"Don't worry," says Serena, giving the mummy a pat on the shoulder. "You know that she truly loves you." She clears her throat. "Now," she loudly proclaims. "We have a duel to complete, don't we?"

Ghostrick Witch turns and, with a hint of embarrassment, flies back to the field as she grins at Elemental Mistress Doriado.

"Why is she smiling like that?" asks Lily.

"Simple," Serena answers. "Once per turn, my witch can flip one monster face-down. So, let's see…" she stares at Doriado looking in fear. "One of these things is not like the others…"

Ghostrick Witch takes the hint and zooms off on her broomstick toward the target, flipping Doriado until she is a face-down card. Then, she returns to sit in the palm of Ghostrick Mummy's hand (her favorite perch) all while the two laugh.

"Oh boy…" Lily gulps.

"Attack her directly, my pretties!" Serena cackles.

Ghostrick Mummy ties a strip of linen to Ghostrick Witch's broom before the witch flies towards Lily, the Mummy flying alongside her. The two pull out two pumpkin shaped bombs that they toss onto the table then fly back to Serena.

"In 5...4...3...2…" Serena counts down.

 **BOOM!**

The bombs explode, unleashing black and orange confetti as Lily's lifepoints drop.

 **(Serena: 1500) - - - - - - - (Lily: 2200)**

Both Ghostrick Mummy and Witch share one last laugh before turning into face-down cards. Serena chuckles as she places one more card face-down.

"And that's gonna be all for this turn," she says. "But don't sweat; all you need is one more attack and I'm done. Finished. Kaput. So," Serena smirks. "You feel lucky?"

"Absolutely," says Lily, drawing a card. "I highly doubt that card will save you now…"

She Flip-Summons Element Valkyrie who prepares her spear. (1500 ATK)

"Attack with Fire Spear Blast!" says Lily.

Element Valkyrie smiles as she leaps into the air, past Serena's monsters...but looks in confusion when Serena smirks.

"I activate... Ceasefire!" she announces.

The Trap Card lifts, depicting two noblemen in a meeting. Then, all of the face-down monsters flip up in confusion.

"What's going on?" asks Lily, seeing Element Valkyrie frozen in mid-air.

"Ceasefire flips all our monsters face-up and you lose 500 lifepoints for every Effect Monster on the field. So 5 monsters times 500 equals…"

"Oh no!" Lily exclaims.

Then, Element Valkyrie is sudden thrown back as Lily watches Serena's Ceasefire card explode, taking all of her lifepoints down to zero.

 **(Serena: 1500) - - - - - - - (Lily: 0)**

"And that's sure to give you goosebumps!" says Serena as Ghostrick Mummy and Witch give each other high-fives. Millefeui is immediately out of her seat and tackles Serena from behind.

"I never doubted you for a second," she says while the Ghostrick monsters vanish from the field. "It's all thanks to my Shock Draw that you got the win."

"I couldn't have done it without you," says Serena, placing a swift kiss onto Millefeui's cheek. This causes Seto to momentarily blink; apparently Mokuba never told him about **that**.

Meanwhile, Lily begins to gather her cards while Kanata, Haruka and Masato cheer for their friend. Then, after Serena pulls out her cellphone for a celebratory selfie, she speaks.

"Well done, well done," says the witch. "Now that I know what you're capable of, we can get down to business."

"Yep," says Serena. "So, how will this work? Are we gonna keep in touch? Do cellphones even have reception in Wonderland?"

"The minute you enter Wonderland, you're on your own," Seto answers. "But since you know the identities of the coma victims, what we need you to do is see if you can reach out to them."

"How does that work?" asks Kanata.

"Each of the victims probably won't believe you're from the real world," Lily explains. "What you have to do is remind them of who they really are. By doing so, we could probably weaken Wonderland slightly and see what it's planning.

"Be careful, though. Wonderland is tricky and beyond logic. It's easy to grow mad there. Plus, with our original agent confiscated, Wonderland might grow suspicious of you."

"Then that's something we'll have to confront when we get there," says Masato. "Now come on, let's get going!"

"I'm sending you to the Forest of Fantasy," says Lily. "There, find the tree with the White Rabbit then follow the 'story' all the way to the end. Think you can do that?"

"It'll be as easy as drawing cards," says Haruka. "We know Wonderland like the backs of our hands."

"But be on your guard," Seto warns. "I'll be the one responsible for anything that happens to you down there."

"Duly noted," says Millefeui. "Now, when do we start?"

Seto smiles as his white eye, combined with Lily's outstretched hand, begins to glow. "You start...now."

The five children blink as a large purple vortex opens up under their feet. They have no time to scream as they begin to fall, fall, fall deeper and deeper into the unknown before the vortex seals itself shut. Lily clenches her fist as the portal vanishes and her other hand flips the book of _Alice in Wonderland_ over until she reaches the paragraph that describes Alice's fall down the Rabbit Hole.

"My work here is done," she says as she sits down. "All we can do now is hope for the best. You better get going and meet with those reporters, and have fun storming the Arcadia Movement."

Seto pulls out his cellphone and immediately starts sending messages to a few people. He knows that this is going to be a **very** long night.

And he hopes that this nonsense ends tonight.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Serena: I always wanted to go on an adventure, but this is crazy! This ain't Horrorland, but I'll take it.**

 **Millefeui: There's no turning back now, Serena. Let's see who we can save first.**

 **Haruka: We're at the door already and have to duel the Gatekeeper to continue.**

 **Kanata: Leave this one to me, guys! I'm taking him down!**

 **Masato: The first duel in Wonderland starts here! 4th Dream - "Falling Down"**

 **Kanata: The answer lies in the heart of the battle.**


	5. Falling Down

_**Name? Kanata.**_

 _ **Family? Older sister, Millefeui and mother, Hanako. Father? Classified.**_

 _ **Favorite food: Onigiri (with salmon skin),steamed dumplings and homemade noodles in a spicy broth. Favorite dessert is sweet potato ice cream.**_

 _ **Currently reading: The Series of Unfortunate Events (halfway through Book #9)**_

 _ **Favorite films: Kung Fu Panda (all of them), Life of Pi and Kiki's Delivery Service**_

 _ **Secret: I'm a huge fan of Vivian Wong (and I have an equally huge crush on Haruka!)**_

 _ **Okay, now that you know a bit about me, time to get to the observation stuff.**_

 _ **First off, can people consciously recall their visits to this Nightmare Realm and how exactly does one enter it in the first place?**_

 _ **Second, how does one communicate with others from their home world here? What happens if you find your alternate self? Like, do you switch places with them? What happens if you**_ _ **die**_ _**in another world? Are you forgotten? Do you fade away and classify yourself as obsolete?**_

 _ **Third, just what is going on with these people in Wonderland? They don't respond to their real names at all, and now they act just like they lived in Wonderland all their lives. I honestly feel like I don't even**_ _ **know**_ _**these people anymore. It's near impossible to sort this mess out.**_

 _ **But, as the proverb goes, "The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step."**_

 _ **And our first step starts with a boy who likes koalas just as much as he likes his grilled cheese sandwiches with extra cheese.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **4th Dream**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Falling Down**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"And that is everything," Kamitsure concludes, pointing at the center of a large white board covered with various circles, arrows and stick figures. "Now, does anyone have any questions?"

In front of her, seated in chairs that designate which Earthbound Immortal they are related to, are four people. Clockwise, it is Shooti (furiously typing on his laptop), Jun (struggling to keep up with Kamitsures's words), Molly (who is drawing something with crayon) and Reiji (the only one who has been alert the entire time). Bel, standing to Kamitsures's left, just nods her head.

"I think they figured it out about twenty minutes ago," she answers. She then looks at Shooti. "Shooti, I thought you would be done already."

"With my conversation with Kari and CC? Yes," Shooti answers, not even looking up from his laptop. "With putting together our schedule for tonight and figuring out who is interviewing whom? Give me a moment."

"Why don't we just go to Wonderland ourselves and purge whatever dark force is causing this mess?" Jun suggests, rubbing his head to rid himself of a migraine. "Why do we have to go through this scavenger hunt?"

"We don't know what our interference can do to those trapped there," Kamitsure answers. "With so many people confirmed comatose, we might accidentally worsen their conditions. What we need to know is what happened to these victims before they begin to copy Sleeping Beauty and find themselves asleep for a hundred years."

"They aren't gonna sleep that long, right?" Molly asks while she inclines her head in confusion.

"Of course not, Molly," Reiji answers. "Not if we do something about it. Besides, once we finished our mission, then you can have a chance to enter Wonderland without worry."

"Really?" Molly's blue eyes shimmering like sapphires at the thought. She loves the world of Wonderland and will do anything to venture in it.

"That's only if the mission is successful," Jun notes before looking over Shooti's shoulder. "You done yet?"

"Almost," Shooti mutters, fingers rapidly typing and hand moving the mouse in blinding speeds. "Just a little more...and...done!"

Saving the document, Shooti is then pushed aside by Jun, who takes the time to scan through the list and take a sheet of paper (and crayon) from Molly to quickly write down his schedule. Reiji, in the meantime, takes a snapshot with his phone.

"You can at least say 'Excuse me,'" Shooti mutters as he sees Bel approaching the laptop. Once she is there, and Jun finishes writing his names, she sits down and quickly gazes at the names staring back at her. She narrows her eyes when she notices the first name on the list-she knows that name very well.

"Anything wrong, Bel?" Kamitsure inquires softly. The TV idol has never seen Bel this serious before.

Bel clenches her hand into a fist as she burns the last name into her mind. _Maeda_...

"I know of this person's father," she explains, scrolling the list down to note four distinct names on the list. "Wait...those four….aren't they…"

"We sent them off a while back to 'satisfy' themselves/enforce some reason to Wonderland," Kamitsure notices the look of shock on Bel's face and sighs. "We thought they could handle themselves, but apparently even _they_ can succumb to that land's spell faster than one can brew dandelion wine. It reminds me of that Ray Bradbury story...which one was it again? The one where the refugees slowly transform into Martians?"

"'Dark They Were and Golden-eyed,'" Reiji answers, smiling when he sees the crayon drawing of a sphinx Molly has drawn. Next to said sphinx is a person with dark skin wearing a lavender shirt and whose hair is the same color as the sphinx's mane.

"Yes, that's the one," Kamitsure replies. "Well, it _is_ better than 'The City' where the abandoned town transforms passing soldiers into walking biological weapons."

Shooti hears his cellphone beep and pulls it out. He looks at the message and nods his head.

"Let's get this started," he says. "We don't have time to lose."

"I'm going with you for our first client," Bel says suddenly, her blue eyes turning into the trademark ebony color all Dark Signers possess. She strides towards Shooti and grabs his arm a little roughly. "Let's go."

"Hey, take it easy!" Shooti exclaims, never seeing Bel this determined as he is dragged off to the side. "What's so important about this koala loving guy anyway?"

"It's not him, but his dad that I want to talk to," Bel replies, momentarily stopping her walk to face him. "His father is well known for his business; business that I am closely acquainted with."

"What kind of business?" Molly inquires, briefly staring at her drawing and signing her name at the bottom.

"Brewing," Bel answers with detest in her voice. "His father manufactures the sake my dad loved to drink."

There is nothing else said as the hummingbird mark on her arm emits a violet light. Emerging from the darkness is a portal that she and Shooti dive into. When it snaps shut, Kamitsure just nods her head.

"You heard Shooti," she says. "Jun, Reiji, start heading off. Molly, come with me."

"Hai!" Molly shouts. "And hopefully, I'll get to see Mr. Spooky again!"

"For the last time," says Jun, folding his list and stuffing it into a pocket. "Your imaginary sphinx friend doesn't exist!"

"Don't discourage her!" Reiji hisses, pulling Jun away by the sleeve. "She might have a power that is developing. And if this 'imaginary sphinx' _is_ real, and she can actually _see_ and _tame_ this sphinx, would _you_ want to be on her bad side so she can sic him on you?"

"Um...good point," Jun answers while Molly proudly shows her drawing to Kamitsure. Despite the older woman possessing the same dark eyes Bel displayed minutes ago, the smile on her face is warm and loving as Molly explains the significance of the person next to the sphinx.

"Mr. Spooky says that this person is asleep somewhere in the city," the girl explains. "And he wants me to help find him tonight."

"I see…" says Kamitsure, with the patience of a mother who nurtures their child's Imagination. "And what's his name?"

"Malik. Malik Ishtar! He is the only one who can free Mr. Spooky from the curse after all!"

Anything else that is said is silenced by Kamitsure summoning a portal and then having Molly wave Jun and Reiji a goodbye before the two girls leave for the Arcadia Movement. Meanwhile, Reiji conjures his own portal that takes him and Jun to their destinations, leaving the Sanctuary empty for the time being.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"You're kidding," says Akari Tsukumo in disbelief. "My _**brother**_ is the White Rabbit luring people into Wonderland?!"

Seto Kaiba, no longer "wearing" the attire of his alter-ego hesitates as he looks at the shocked red-haired woman in front of him doing her best to process the last fifteen minutes of exposition in regards to another comatose victim and how the CEO has the exact process as to how the coma victims end up unconscious. The process, as he explains, involves a person wishing for their life to be better, then the White Rabbit appears in their vision and the person chases them until they go down the rabbit hole. After that, he does not know for sure, but all he knows is that the number of coma victims is increasing and finding out how they fall into their comas is the first step in stopping this madness.

But there is no way to state this without a hint of brutal honesty, which is why he waits for Akari to calm down before continuing.

Akari grips onto her jeans as she hangs her head, her body trembling from hearing the news. Her little brother, energetic, lively, friendly, sometimes forgetful, ditzy, perpetually optimistic and hopeful Yuma Tsukumo, has somehow been making various children go down the Rabbit Hole and is most likely oblivious to everything that he has been doing.

But this is impossible, because there's something off about this story.

"Yuma has been in a coma since Valentine's Day," Akari begins, clenching her teeth. Tears fall down her eyes as her body convulses in horror. "How the hell are people able to see him run off shouting how he's late for something while the only time I see him is when I go to the hospital to check on him?! Who would make Yuma do something like this? _Why_ would they make him do something so cruel? It's...just...I can't…"

Akari soon breaks down in tears as Seto cringes. Dueling, managing a business, being a good big brother (ok, he hasn't been brother of the year material recently but he has a justification for that), and fighting off monsters through the use of Illusion magic are things he is an expert at.

Comforting people in times like this? It's not his forte, to say the least.

As Akari continues to cry, her roommate and fellow reporter Carly Nagisa emerges from the kitchen with a cup of tea, setting it down on the table before she takes a seat next to Akari, running a hand down the grieving older sister's back.

"All he was trying to do was meet his friends," Akari hiccups. "And after he fell into his coma, three of them have been sent into comas too. They all saw Yuma and I didn't! I...I…"

"There might be a way that we can save him," says Seto, a bit quiet. He waits for Akari to stop crying, watching her blow her nose and wipe the tears from her eyes with three tissues before speaking. "Yuma maybe in Wonderland right now, but he probably will no longer have to bring people with him down the Rabbit Hole."

"What makes you say that?" asks Carly, raising an eyebrow. "We tried making connections with the kids that were taken and found nothing."

"...Tell me something, Akari," says Seto. "Your brother and all of his friends...what school do they go to?"

"The International School of Domino City," Akari answers, confused. "But how does that connect to our investigation work?"

"Because a hint was under your nose this entire time. Almost every person that has been dragged into Wonderland came from that exact same school."

If there is a moment where Akari could start slapping herself, it will be now. Of all things she has overlooked, the fact that Yuma has been targeting his fellow students should have crossed her mind after three of his closest friends were found unconscious.

"But why go after ISDC students, aside from how familiar Yuma would be with them?" she asks. "And why did Yuma choose only _three_ of his friends and not all of them?"

"Because, if my theory is correct, he only goes to those who wish to have an audience with Wonderland," Seto suggests. "And, barring that, maybe he is searching for a specific person and tried to lure them out by going after people he knows personally.

"Or, should we go with my third theory, he wants to induce a mass panic, causing adults to fear for their children's lives and said children to rebel, thus processing more potential victims to snatch when said child loses their freedom and have strict curfews to place on them."

At this, Akari cannot help but laugh, even as tears fall down her eyes.

"What kind of person would go through something so ridiculous that they would want to follow my brother to Wonderland?" she asks, out of disbelief and sarcasm and sheer audacity of this theory.

"...my brother," Seto answers, his fury disguised in a calm tone.

Akari stops laughing as she watches Seto's left eye illuminate the room. Then, she and Carly gasp as their small apartment transforms into an exact replica of his office. There, the illusion of Seto Kaiba is at his computer, looking at a post from _Chasing Shadows_ , one pertaining to the coma victims (the illusion is so detailed that Akari can make out the images shown on the computer; all of them show Yuma's friends). Meanwhile, an illusion of Mokuba is waiting for an answer for something important.

"This scene you are watching is from last week," Seto explains, watching his past self fully focused on his work. "And this is how it all went down."

"What do you mean I can't sleepover?" Illusion Mokuba exclaims. "It's before the night of the play-"

"One you despise," Illusion Seto notes, his eyes still on the monitor.

"And just one night I want to go and hang out with my friends without this stupid curfew on me! So what if a few students from another school have been hospitalized? It won't happen to me, I assure you."

"How can you be sure?"

Illusion Mokuba stays silent before he replies, "Because if anyone messes with me, then I'll make sure they live to regret it."

Illusion Seto looks up, and the real one sighs as he recalls what he said next.

"With those imaginary friends of yours?"

Illusion Mokuba scowls, hands curled into fists that would never strike out against his older brother, despite how much the younger boy hated him.

"That's none of your business!" The boy snaps. "They've been protecting me ever since you took over the company and have been doing a better job of watching out for me than you have."

"...How so?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Illusion Mokuba roars. "You come home late looking like you were picking fights with someone, you keep going to the strangest places like a Magic Shop, that bar known as 'Satisfaction Town' and what's this about you going out on a date with that bitch, Natsume?"

"If she heard you call her that, she'd rip your tongue out."

"She's not here right now, is she?" Illusion Mokuba taunts.

Illusion Seto stays silent before returning to his work. The real Seto cringes slightly, as if waiting for Natsume to arrive and actually rip his brother's tongue out (which isn't possible since she is preparing for the attack on the Arcadia Movement).

"I will repeat this one last time," the illusion of Seto Kaiba states, oblivious to his younger brother's glare. "After the rehearsal, you are to come home straight away. That is _final_."

Illusion Mokuba clenches his teeth and even in this memory Seto can feel the anger fueling from the young boy as he unleashes an intense scream of frustration.

"Fine then!" he shouts. "I rather be wherever all of those people in the hospital are wandering about then to ask something from you. I wish things were like _before_ we got adopted, because at least you smiled back then!"

Illusion Mokuba storms off, slamming the door behind him and thus ending the illusion. Seto groans as Carly hands him a plate of onigiri she made earlier. Taking a bite from one (which is filled with tuna and spicy mayo), Seto just waits for Akari to sip her tea before speaking.

"I'm sorry to hear that…" she whispers. "And I guess trying to explain what is truly going on wouldn't have worked, huh?"

"The thought has been in my mind, but every scenario ends with us arguing," Seto answers. He then pulls out a deck strapped to a deck holder on his belt and sets it on the table, spreading each card face-down. "Carly, can you draw a card and tell me what you see?"

"Um...all right then," Carly bites her bottom lip as she hovers her hand over the cards. Three seconds later, she pulls one out and flips it over. She blinks.

"Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss," she reads slowly. "Seto...whose deck is this?"

"My brother's," Seto answers, to the shock and horror of the reporters. "And I have a feeling that whatever dragged him to Wonderland wanted this deck, too. Thank goodness Mokuba tossed his backpack aside before entering Wonderland."

"But why?" Akari inquires, shuddering at the sight of the demon. Then, it all clicks. "His imaginary friends…"

"Reside in the Burning Abyss," Seto finishes as Carly places the card back. He gathers the cards into a single deck and places it back into the deck holder. "And these same monsters are the reason why our step-father was thrown out of a window six years back."

But before either Akari or Carly can ask any more questions, or even react to that sort of revelation, Seto gets a text message on his phone. He quickly sends a reply before standing up.

"We need to head off," he states, finishing the onigiri in his hand. "So much to do, so little time."

Placing a hand over his left eye, the eye emits a flash of light that covers him from head to toe before it fades away and he now appears as the superhero of Domino Below. But just as he is about to leave (through teleportation which is by forming a cross with his arms), Akari interrupts him.

"There's something I want to ask," she says. "Did you send someone to go and save everyone in Wonderland?"

Seto nods his head. "It's been done. And they should be arriving in Wonderland soon. Who knows? They probably are already down the rabbit hole as we speak."

He then makes his leave, forming a cross with arms as a glowing portal beneath his feet sucks him in. Carly heads to her room to gather supplies while Akari pulls out her phone, unlocking it to reveal a picture of her and her brother, Yuma proudly showing off his new Duel Disk with awe.

 _Yuma..._ she thinks to herself. _Just wait a little while longer..._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Masato has no idea how long he has been unconscious when he feels someone poking his cheek.

"Wake up…" A voice hisses in his ear. "Wake up…"

Masato groans, his vision blurry as he searches for his glasses. When he can't find them on the dark grass, they are given to him by someone wearing a lavender kimono. He quickly takes the glasses and places them on, gasping when he sees who is in front of him.

"Ghostrick Yuki-onna?" he whispers. "What are we doing here? Where are we?"

"Masato!" cries a familiar voice. "Can you hear me?"

"Haruka!" Masato exclaims, sitting up. Ghostrick Yuki-onna giggles as the two see Haruka, Serena, Millefeui and Kanata approach them. Haruka smiles in relief when she sees her brother unharmed.

"There you are," she says. "We've been looking all over for you."

"Thanks for the help, Yuki-onna," says Serena, holding a card in her hand. "I'll call you if we need anything else."

Ghostrick Yuki-onna smiles before shrinking into a ball of light and shoots back into her card. As Serena places the card back into her Duel Disk, Masato looks at his surroundings. The sky is colored in hues of purple and pink without a single star in the sky. Surrounding him is a sea of dead grass and trees black as the night are the only things he can see in the distance.

"This is the Nightmare Realm?" he asks. "It's so...quiet."

"Right now," Kanata notes, hand above her eyes as she scans the area. "But who knows what types of creatures live here? And whether or not they're friendly…"

"Lily said this is supposed to be the Forest of Fantasy," says Millefeui. "But this doesn't look like something you find in a fairy tale...unless, someone has a very bad sense of humor."

"We're supposed to be looking for a tree that holds a door in the shape of a white rabbit," says Serena, grasping the bill of her cap. "Okay, that's like finding a missing button in the laundry. If we split up, it will be easier...but we could also find ourselves confronting creatures from an Unhuman Race with no qualms on eating us, or we end up lost here forever, maybe die of starvation-if that's possible-or maybe this is a place where time is all wonky so…"

"Um, I hate to stop the speech on how we possibly meet our end," Masato interrupts. "But, maybe we can go to whatever's glowing over there?"

He points off into the distance, and the group sees a faint light going off. At this point, the light can be considered either a good thing or a bad thing, but it is currently the only thing they have to go by. The five nod and begin to race off deeper into the forest.

Five minutes later, or what feels like five minutes to them, the group makes it to their destination: a tree marked with the door of a white rabbit.

"That's odd," says Haruka. "Why do we have to go through a door to enter Wonderland? I mean, why not just go down a Rabbit Hole?"

"There's no time to use reason here," says Kanata. "From here on out, anything goes in Wonderland. So...who's gonna be the one to open the door?"

"I'll do it," says Serena, approaching the tree. "Anything to save Mokuba…"

She grasps the doorknob, turns it, and then watches the door open, all the while thinking of how this is similar to what Jack Skellington experienced, and looks down to see nothing but a dark abyss staring back at her. The situation reminds her of a Nietszhe quote she read once: something about staring into an abyss and how it stares back at you.

"All right, guys," she says. "No turning back now. So…" Serena takes a step back and readies herself. "Here...I...go!"

She jumps inside as her friends look in horror, but they have no other choice. One by one, they follow Serena down, down, down and hope that they land in Wonderland safely, without some sort of monster waiting to eat them or the like.

Until then, all they can do is wait.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Near a set of large ornate doors covered in roses and playing card symbols, a boy is painting a sunrise. He loves painting sunrises; no two sunrises are alike, just like no two fingerprints are the same. Each sunrise carries with it a day's beginning where Earth decides to awaken and bring forth a new adventure.

But for every sunrise he paints, he feels like something is missing. Every time he looks back at his masterpieces, it feels like his heart is about to break.

Yet he can't help but paint them. Every time he closes his eyes, he can recall someone (him?) standing and watching a sun rising from the east with a sense of awe and wonder. It feels like they are the key to help him remember something about his past.

As he works on mixing paints together, he notices how his stomach growls for food. Setting his palette on a nearby table, he sighs. When did he last have something to eat?

In what seems like magic, the Door to Wonderland opens, and both Noah and Alice emerge, Alice carrying a picnic basket in her hands.

"Hi ho, Chumley," says Noah. "How have your paintings been?"

Chumley, a boy who towers over Noah and Alice with a face and hairstyle that resembles a koala, turns around as Alice sets the picnic basket on the table. Even from where he is sitting, he can smell the freshly made grilled cheese sandwiches from inside said basket.

"I'm doing fine," Chumley answers. "But it does get kind of lonely. And is that...could it be...has Alice returned at long last?"

"Returned?" Alice asks, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you vanished from Wonderland one day and no one has seen you since then," Chumley explains. "I would have known if someone arrived at the Door to Wonderland even if they fell from the sky."

Three seconds after he states that, five children fall from the sky in a huge pile.

They groan as they struggle to untangle themselves from one another, the girl with the red cap adjusting her jacket to ensure that it's intact. When she stands up, she sees Alice staring at them intently and looks in disbelief.

"This...this can't be…" Serena trails off. "Mokuba, is that you?"

"Mokuba?" Alice repeats, inclining her head to the side. "No, you must be mistaken. I am Alice."

"And I am Noah," says Noah, standing in-between Serena and his Alice. Something about Serena staring at Alice doesn't feel right. "How did you get here? Did you follow the White Rabbit?"

"No, we found a…" Serena pauses as she tries to find the right word. "A door that lead us here. Isn't that right?"

Her friends nod their heads as they stand up and dust themselves off. Haruka notices Chumley to the side while Millefeui sniffs the air.

"Do I smell grilled cheese sandwiches?" she asks.

"They're my favorite," says Chumley, pulling a sandwich made with charcoal bread and wrapped with wax paper out of the basket. He licks his lips as he pulls the sandwich halves apart and watches gooey strands of melted cheese the colors of the rainbow stretch out. "And it's a rainbow sandwich too! Totally lishus."

"Wait a second," says Haruka, pulling out her phone. "Excuse me, sir..."

"Call me Chumley Huffington," says Chumley, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"Chumley?" Haruka blinks, staring at the photo of him on her phone. "No, that's not your name at all. At least, I don't think it is…"

"Whoa…" says Masato, staring at Chumley's painting resting on an easel. "It's beautiful!"

Kanata also takes the time to look at it and feels like the painting is familiar. She knows she has seen it somewhere before...

"You painted this?" she asks Chumley.

Chumley nods his head. "They're my favorite thing to paint," he answers. "Well, they're the _only_ thing I paint nowadays." He sighs as he scratches his head. "I just can't seem to paint anything else. It's as if I'm compelled to paint them over and over again.

"Anyway, why are you here?"

"We're here for information," says Serena, leaning forward and drumming her fingers on the table all while keeping her eyes on Alice. "So Alice, have you seen a boy who looks just like you, who is wearing a dress just like yours, but he goes by the name of Mokuba?"

"...No, I don't think I have," Alice answers, seating herself down before pulling out a sandwich on whole-wheat bread with sliced turkey, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon and pesto from the basket. She splits it in two and hands one sandwich half to Serena. "Want one?"

Serena pushes the sandwich aside. "I want answers," she growls, turning to Noah who is smiling at her, feeling her blood boil at this white-dressed boy being so close to Mokuba, or Alice, whoever. "Are you the one ruling Wonderland?"

"Depends on the time," Noah answers, standing behind Alice. He leans forward, wrapping his arms around Alice's neck with a smug grin on his face. Just the way he gets into Mokuba's personal space makes Serena want to sock him in the face. "You are very curious, but I think you should take some advice from the Caterpillar in regards to your temper."

"...I'll take that advice when I need it," Serena takes a seat and looks at her close friend with the dreamy look in his (her) eyes, trying to comprehend the change in him. Didn't he hate dressing up as Alice?

She turns to Mokuba. "Alice, don't you recognize me? We were walking home from school just a few hours ago. I lent you my jacket and everything...and you had the audacity to toss it aside even when you know how much it means to me!"

"I don't recall anything of the sort," Alice replies, taking a bite out of her sandwich. "I only recall following a rabbit down here after….after…." she pauses as she looks at her sandwich. "Odd, I don't have any memories before I fell…"

"Maybe because you died?" Millefeui suggests before Serena jabs her elbow to the side. Noah unwraps himself from his Alice and clears his throat.

"This sort of talk is not good for us," he declares as he seats himself between Serena and Alice. "I think some entertainment is in order. Plus, it might give Chumley some inspiration for something other than his sensational sunrise sceneries."

"Like what?" asks Haruka, still looking at her phone. At this point, Masato has helped Alice prepare plates and napkins for everyone around a table set for six or seven people. "This is getting weird…What do we do now?"

"I have a suggestion," says Kanata, activating her Duel Disk. "Chumley, how about we have a friendly duel?"

"What?" Haruka hisses, leaning close and briefly staring at Noah taking a bite out of Alice's sandwich all while Serena brandishes a look that clearly states, "I will take good pleasure in killing you when the time is right." before speaking. "How is a duel going to help us out?"

"I know I've seen that sunrise he's painted somewhere before," Kanata answers. "Maybe if we duel, it will come back to me and we can figure out his true name. You know how in most mentionings of magic that knowing someone's true name will let you have control over them?"

"Yeah, I do. Lily mentioned how she knew so many names of monsters when she dueled Serena. "

"Then let me duel him and see what I can uncover. Plus, you have pictures of all the victims on your phone, right?"

Haruka bobs her head. Prior to entering Lily's shop, she downloaded all the photos from _Chasing Shadows_ in case of an emergency. Then, an idea forms in her mind as she stares at Serena.

"Go and duel him," Haruka whispers as she looks at a cellphone charm of a white orb marked with a magic circle inside it dangling from her phone. She quickly sends a text message and attaches the photo to it before sending it to Serena. "I have an idea."

Haruka then takes her seat with her friends, and younger brother, as Chumley opens a large trunk of art supplies before pulling out his Duel Disk.

"Are you sure about this?" he asks, slipping his Duel Disk on. "I mean, I'm more of a painter than a duelist."

"I feel it might be just the thing you're looking for," Kanata answers back as she briefly stares Serena looking at her phone. "All right then...Gong Yi Tanpai!"

Chumley, Alice and Noah look at her strangely. Kanata sighs.

"It means, 'Let the showdown begin!'," she explains. "It's my battle cry."

"Ah, I see," says Chumley. "And here's mine-Get your game on!"

"Let's Duel!"

 **(Kanata: 8000) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 8000)**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Slow down before you pull my arm out, Bel!" Shooti exclaims, after the two end up in the center of town.

Bel slightly loosens her grip before standing still, gritting her teeth. Shooti exhales slowly.

"I know you still have gripes about your father and his drinking problems," he says. "But going after the man who made that sake isn't going to fix things. Your dad can't go after you anymore, so why are you so frustrated?"

"It's because I can feel for our coma victim," Bel answers. "Hayato Maeda, son of Kumazo Maeda, the founder of Summer Sunrise Sake, who would rather spend his days hanging with his friends then follow in the family business...he was lucky to _not_ have the luxury of an abusive father trying to strangle him. Instead, he conveniently finds himself in a coma where he doesn't have the pressure of being someone he doesn't want to be."

"Bel, finding yourself in a coma in order to live your life isn't really living at all." Shooti places her hands onto his chest. "Besides, if Kumazo is uncooperative, then we can use our powers under the reasoning of self-defense. I'm sure that, deep down, the man really cares for his son."

Bel stays quiet and then pulls her hands away from Shooti as they continue on their way. There is silence as the two proceed to walk to an address placed on the GPS on Shooti's phone, but after five minutes of quiet, Shooti is about to say something, when he sees someone staring back at him on his cellphone.

No, not a person, but a Duel Monster.

It is a young girl in a purple and black dress with long white hair making her resemble a doll. Said girl waves at him before closing the GPS, opens a memo app and begins to type something.

 _-Hi!-_ The girl states. _-Good to see you_!-

"Shooti," says Bel, noticing how her Acolyte has stopped moving. "What are you doing?"

"I think someone either sent me a virus or a messenger," Shooti replies as he shows Bel his phone.

Bel takes it into her hand and writes back, -Who are you?-

The girls in the phone hastily sends a reply.

 _-I'm Ghostrick Mary! Satoshi sent me to you to ask for information about a koala boy named Chumley Huffington guarding the Door to Wonderland.-_

-Chumley Huffington?- Bel repeats in her next message. -Does this boy like grilled cheese sandwiches?-

Ghostrick Mary nods her head as she posts the picture of Chumley (with his face pixelated) eating a grilled cheese sandwich alongside a boy eating fried shrimp. _-He likes painting sunrises too!-_

Shooti takes the phone in his hand. -Is Satoshi in Wonderland? Who else is with him? How did you get there? Wait, how are you talking to us here?-

 _-Satoshi (Serena) sent me here thanks to a special charm on Haruka's cellphone. They, along with Haruka's brother and their girlfriends, were sent there by Kaibaman to save Mokuba. Mokuba thinks he is Alice Liddell, though.-_

"That's not good," Shooti mutters.

 _-What is Chumley's real name? And can you help send information that can help him remember his past?-_

-His real name is Hayato Maeda- Shooti answers. -Bel and I are off to see his father to learn how Hayato fell unconscious.-

 _-Bel?-_ Mary tilts her head to the side. _-Why would she be with you? And Bel, what's with that outfit? And what happened to your eyes?!-_

Bel blinks as she stares at a nearby display window. Sure enough, she has forgotten to cast the glamour spell that makes her look human.

She groans and places a hand on her face; Kamitsure will never forgive her for making a critical error. Thankfully, Shooti manages to salvage it.

-They're contact lenses. And it's a costume for a dark night LARP session. And that isn't important right now. Keep us posted with information on those in Wonderland and I'll see what I can dig up from _Chasing Shadows_.-

 _-I see. You're doing an investigation for them, right?-_

Anyone connected to Shooti knows that he is the youngest reporter for _Chasing Shadows_ , obtaining this distinct honor after his report on a suicide club during All Hallow's Eve (even if he did die to obtain it, something that only a few select people in _Chasing Shadows_ are aware of). Shooti hesitates before texting a reply.

-Yeah, I got asked by them to figure out this mystery.-

Mary nods her head. _-I see. Well then, have fun calling all creeps and talk to you soon!-_

Mary vanishes as Shooti sighs and turns his GPS app back on.

"Let's go," he tells Bel, noticing how Bel's face is normal looking, and not the visage of someone who has been resurrected.

Bel nods her head as the two race off towards their destination.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Serena sets her cellphone down and slides it towards Haruka, who nods her head while taking a bite out of a grilled swiss cheese sandwich topped with slices of hot pastrami and Dijon mustard.

"Say," says Serena, turning to Noah. "What type of deck does Chumley use?"

"He likes Australia," Noah answers simply. "He says that he has fond memories of observing koalas asleep in the trees and kangaroos hopping about in the afternoon sun."

"So he's playing with Beast-type monsters then," says Millefeui. "Interesting…."

"Ladies first," says Kanata, drawing a card. "Okay, I'll first start off with my Field Spell Card, Zodiac Sign!"

A Spell Card appears, depicting three Zoodiac Monsters (Whiptail, Ramram and Thoroughblade) staring up into the night sky as a dragon with a radiant aura unleashes various beams of light above the monsters' heads in the form of Kanji characters of the animal they represent (Snake, Sheep and Horse, respectively). Then, the scenery changes into a forest clearing at night and the spectral image of a dragon shining bright like a full moon.

"This card increases the attack and defense of my Zoodiac monsters by 300 and it also gives me two other nifty effects for later.

"So here comes my first monster, my Zoodiac Thoroughblade in Attack Mode!"

With a whinny, the warrior appears with the appearance of a young man with short chestnut colored hair ending in a long tail and a pair of equine ears on his head. He is dressed in red armor while his right hand is covered by a metal gauntlet that grasps a sword with a dark grey blade and a hilt fashioned after the head of a black horse's head. (1600/0 -) 1900/300)

"You ready to fight, Thoroughblade?" asks Kanata.

 _Eeyup._ Thoroughblade answers with a nod of his head.

Kanata smiles. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Then she realizes something. "Wait a minute, did you just _talk_?"

 _Eeyup._ Thoroughblade repeats.

"But, but I never saw you talk before…" Kanata stutters as her friends (and sister) look in surprise. Noah chuckles a bit.

"For some odd reason, Duel Monsters are more active here," he notes. "It's not uncommon for them to be speaking, playing games or dancing around when they're called out. And shouldn't you be concentrating on the duel, Missy?"

Kanata shakes her head as Thoroughblade readies his blade. "Right, sorry. And don't call me, Missy!

"Now, when Zoodiac Thoroughblade is Summoned, I can send a Zoodiac monster in my hand to the graveyard to draw one card."

Kanata discards one card and draws a new one.

"Next," she continues. "I play Fire Formation - Tenki to bring a Level 4 or lower Beast-Warrior monster from my deck to my hand, and give all my fellow Beast-Warrior monsters an additional 100 Attack Points."

A Continuous Spell Card appears, depicting two monsters (Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Hawk and Raven) surrounded by fiery auras. Then, Thoroughblade raises his sword to the sky as he becomes empowered and his attack now reads 2000.

"A monster with 2000 Attack Points on the first turn?" Chumley exclaims. "Not lishus."

"But this is only the first turn," says Kanata. "I'm sure you can make a comeback. So with that, you're up."

"All right then," says Chumley, drawing a card. "I set a monster face-down and place two cards behind it. That's all."

 _Okay,_ Kanata thinks. _I'm not getting anything strange about him yet. That monster he just Set either has a high Defense or a nasty effect. Well, I never know until I try._

"My move!" she announces, drawing a card. "And now I'll summon the Zoodiac Monster I obtained from my Fire Formation Spell Card. I play Zoodiac Ratpier in Attack Mode!"

With a squeak, a new Zoodiac monster appears. She stands up to Thoroughblade's waist and dresses in silver armor and a dark blue cape. Her appearance, based on the mouse, has her with tan mouse ears with short blond hair, a thin tail, and her weapon is a blue rapier with a rat acting as a hilt that she wields in her left hand (that has a large blue gauntlet covering it). (0/0 -) 400/300)

 _Interesting..._ Ratpier remarks, looking around. _Think we'll find a mouse with a long tail here?_

 _Eeyup._ Thoroughblade answers.

 _Hmmm..._ Ratpier closes her eyes. _If I meet him, I can't just call myself "Ratpier". I should have my own name to stand out from my sisters. Ooh, how about a name of one of the Thea Sisters? I'm going with Colette, ok?_

 _Eeyup._

"Never thought of it that way," says Serena, taking a bite out of a BLT sandwich on sourdough bread. "Then again, I usually carry one of each monster in my deck."

 _And you!_ Ratpier continues as she looks at Thoroughblade. _You need a new name too! I think Philip will be perfect. Is that okay, dear?_

 _Eeyup._

"Why would you name a horse Philip?" Millefeui asks, raising an eyebrow.

 _It's based on Latin, love._ Zoodiac Ratpier ("Colette") answers. _Anyway, don't you have something to do, Kanata?_

"Right," says Kanta, searching through her deck. "When I summon a Zoodiac Ratpier, I send a Zoodiac monster from my hand to the graveyard."

"That seems ridiculous," says Chumley. "Why would you do something like that?"

"You'll see soon enough. But now, it's time to unleash the Overlay Network! Thoroughblade, Ratpier...sorry, Philip and Colette...do the honors!"

The two Zoodiac warriors nod their heads before they hold hands. The Overlay Network, a large black swirling vortex, appears in front of them before they leap inside. Then, Kanata makes a sweeping motion with her right arm and chants,

" _Howl at the moon, Zodiac Warrior of the Canine! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Zoodiac Chakanine!"_

With a large howl, the new monster appears onto the field. It is a female warrior with grey hair in a ponytail topped with canine ears. She wears a maroon blouse protected by blue armor, tan fingerless gloves, teal colored greaves covered with oversized tan boots and her right hand is in a large green gauntlet that holds a blue and green chakram twice her size. She also sports a long grey tail while two orbs circle her (each marked with a kanji character for "Horse" and "Rat", respectively). (?/?)

"Huh?" asks Chumley in confusion. "Why are the stats unknown?"

"The thing about Zoodiac monsters is that their stats are based on the Attack and Defense of their Xyz Materials," Kanata explains. "Thoroughblade had 2000 Attack Points while Ratpier had 400. Combine that with Zodiac Sign and Fire Formation - Tenki, and you get…."

Zoodiac Chakanine howls as a red-orange glow surrounds her. (?/? -) 2800/900)

"I'm not done yet," Kanata continues. "Whenever a Zoodiac monster becomes an Xyz Material, they grant some nifty effects. For example, Thoroughblade gives me a piercing effect whenever he becomes an Xyz Material."

"And what about Ratpier?" asks Chumley, grimacing as Chakanine bares her fangs.

"If I detach Ratpier," Kanata begins. "Then I get to Special Summon another Ratpier from my hand or deck to the graveyard.

"And whenever I detach an Xyz Material from Chakanine, she can Special Summon a Zoodiac monster from my graveyard onto the field, provided that it can't be used as an Xyz Material and that their effect can't be used on the turn I resurrected them. So…"

A series of events happen in this order: Zoodiac Chakanine slices one of the orbs surrounding her (2800/900 -) 2400/600) as a second Zoodiac Ratpier emerges in Defense Mode (300 DEF) and as Kanata sends another Zoodiac monster to the graveyard, a new one emerges: a girl with pink hair braided into pigtails and matching bunny ears, wearing a teal and white dress trimmed with pink fur. Her weapon is a large blue blunderbuss with a rabbit emblem on the barrel of said weapon that she gently carries in the bronze gauntlet covering her right hand. (800/800 -) 1200/1100)

 _Reporting for duty, Mistress!_ Zoodiac Bunnyblast announces, saluting Kanata. _For reference, just call me Max._

"Is it short for Maxine?" Kanata asks.

 _My full name is Maxine Chiester Velveteen._ Bunnyblast explains before pointing her weapon at Chumley. _Is it time to strike?_

"We're just about ready," Kanata answers, noticing how Zoodiac Chakanine has been silent the entire time. "Anything you wish to say?"

 _Hachi_ _is ready for a fight._ Chakanine answers with a nod of her head.

"Well then, it's time to give you one! Attack his face-down monster!"

Zoodiac Chakanine barks and hurls her chakram at the card, revealing a koala with tan fur and a pouch filled with eucalyptus leaves that gets sliced in half. (1800 DEF)

 **(Kanata: 8000) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 7400)**

"That was my Des Koala that you flipped," says Chumley. "So now you lose 400 lifepoints for every card in your hand, and I count 3!"

Kanata cringes as she sees her hand burn with fire momentarily.

 **(Kanata: 6800) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 7400)**

"And then," Chumley continues. "I activate Animal Trail to let me bring a Beast-type monster from my deck to my hand!

One of Chumley's cards flips, showing a dark forest path ending with a pair of yellow eyes glowing in the dark. Chumley then takes a card from his deck and into his hand.

"I still have Bunnyblast in Attack Mode," says Kanata. "And she's ready for a fight. Ready?"

Zoodiac Bunnyblast points her weapon at Chumley and fires a blast. Chumley smiles.

"I activate my second face-down card, Battle Instinct!" he exclaims. "Now I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Beast-type monster from my hand onto the field, like Eucalyptus Mole!"

The Trap Card (depicting a lioness about to pounce on a fallen antelope) is replaced by Chumley's newest monster, a strange mole-like creature with eucalyptus leaves on its back to resemble fur. (300 ATK)

Zoodiac Bunnyblast smirks as her attack hits the monster dead-on, causing it to explode.

 **(Kanata: 6800) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 6500)**

"That's odd," Alice notes. "Why did he not put it in Defense Mode?"

"Because my Eucalyptus Mole's effect only works when he's destroyed in battle," Chumley explains. "And now that he's in the graveyard, I can Special Summon a Koala monster from my hand or deck, like my friend, Big Koala!"

The room begins to shake as an enormous blue furry koala rises onto the field, towering over everyone and causing Kanata's monsters to cling onto each other in fear. (2700 ATK)

"Okay then…" says Kanata, setting a card face-down. "I end my turn there."

"And my turn is up," says Chumley, drawing his card. "I set one card face-down…"

A face-down card appears behind Big Koala.

"Then, I'm playing Offerings to the Doomed to send your Chakanine to the graveyard."

A set of linen bandages assault Chakanine, who prepares her chakram to slice through them.

"Bunnyblast," Kanata commands. "Take the blow!"

 _Roger!_ says Bunnyblast, jumping in front of Chakanine. The bandages mummify her before the rabbit girl is dragged off to the graveyard.

"Huh?" Chumley asks, confused. "But my target was Chakanine."

"If a Zoodiac monster I control is a target for a Spell or Trap Card while Zodiac Sign is in play, I can destroy a monster card in my hand or field to redirect it," Kanata explains. "And, since it's your turn, Zoodiac Bunnyblast can activate her effect to let me Special Summon a Zoodiac monster in my graveyard like Zoodiac Whiptail!"

A low hiss emerges from behind Kanata as the serpentine warrior of the Zoodiac monster appears from the shadows. It is a lanky male in black armor with green accents whose weapon is a large green and black whip designed to resemble a snake that he wields in his gauntlet covered left hand. He also wears a dark violet cape, a pair of glasses and, when he smiles, he reveals his fangs. (1600/200 -) 2000/500)

"I can still summon a monster," says Chumley. "So I summon Tree Otter in Attack Mode!"

A new monster appears, an adorable grey otter sitting on a tree branch with a pup clinging onto its back. (1200 ATK)

"And check this out. I can increase the attack of one monster by 1000 as long as Tree Otter has a buddy that's the same type as him until the end of my turn."

Kanata cringes as Tree Otter closes its eyes and a green aura surrounds it and Big Koala, the behemoth now having an attack score of 3700.

"Now Big Koala," says Chumley. "Attack Chakanine with Thunder from Down Under!"

Big Koala runs on all fours before slicing at Zoodiac Chakanine with its claws, sending her to the grave with a mournful howl.

 **(Kanata: 5500) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 6500)**

"Then Tree Otter," Chumley continues. "Attack Ratpier."

Ratpier raises an eyebrow at the otter before bursting into laughter.

"Sorry, you're not gonna be able to do that," says Kanata. "You see, thanks to the effect of Zodiac Sign, your monsters have to go after the Beast-Warrior on my side of the field with the highest Attack Score. When you attacked with Big Koala, your only target was Zoodiac Chakanine. Now that she's gone, the only monster you can attack is Zoodiac Whiptail, who is clearly stronger than your Tree Otter. Guess you should have done your homework first."

"Do my... homework?" Chumley mutters, staring at his cards.

"Well if you're done with your turn, I guess I'll start mine," says Kanata, drawing a card. She pauses as she sees Chumley immobile. "Hello? Chumley? You in there?"

Chumley is motionless, his body not moving. He is staring at the two cards in his hand, causing his audience to look in worry.

"What's going on?" asks Masato, turning to his sister for an explanation.

"I don't know," Haruka whispers, slightly nudging Serena with her elbow. Serena takes the hint and unlocks her cellphone. "But I think we might have to wait and see how this goes."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"So," says the gruff voice of Kumazo Maeda as he pours himself a cup of hot tea (he has been trying to cut down on his alcohol consumption ever since his son was hospitalized). "You two are saying that my son is somehow wandering through _Wonderland_ under the name of 'Chumley Huffington?'"

Shooti and Bel sit across a table from the older man as they take a glance around the living room. Framed on the walls are pictures of Kumazo in front of the Summer Sunrise Sake brewery, him and Hayato in Australia and, most recently, a picture of Hayato proudly holding a Duel Card in a picture frame five times its size. Bel clears her throat.

"It's more than that," she explains, glad that she cannot breathe as she absolutely _detests_ the smell of alcohol thanks to her father. "We believe that he entered Wonderland due to something going on between him and you. Tell us, when exactly did he fall into this coma?"

"And why should I answer that question?" Kumazo asks, calmly setting the teapot down. "I already had reporters come in about my son's coma and I've turned them all away. What makes you two any different?"

"Well it's because…" Shooti's cellphone beeps before he can continue. "Hold that thought."

Shooti picks up his cellphone on the table and looks at Ghostrick Mary writing something to him. _-Chumley isn't responding! He's like a statue.-_

-How did this happen?- He texts back.

 _-It started after Kanata told him to "do his homework". Where are you anyway?-_

-At his house. Okay, let me see if we can use that to our advantage.-

Shooti grips his cellphone and looks around the room once more. He doesn't see a lot of pictures that show Hayato's accomplishments. In fact, the most prominent photo is the one with the Duel Monsters card.

He stands up and approaches the picture, taking note of how Hayato is beaming with pride at his work. "Your son is a good duelist?"

"Not really," Kumazo shrugs his shoulders while Shooti takes a snapshot of a proud Hayato. "He _has_ improved though, thanks to his friends.

"And if you want to ask what that card is, that card is one he created himself."

"Really now?" says Shooti. "It's beautiful…"

"So beautiful that the creator of Duel Monsters himself wants my son to work for him."

"Seriously?" Bel exclaims, eyes wide with surprise. "Your son is _that_ talented?!"

"My son was never good at school," Kumazo begins. "He never had the confidence and, I admit, I always was pushing him to take care of the Sake Business when he grew older, and we got into arguments about it. It didn't help that I kept beating him in the duels we had together.

"Then, when I went to a Parent Teacher Conference a few weeks ago, I found out that my son had quite an artistic eye and secretly sent an entry for a contest for Duel Monsters cards without me noticing. That picture you see there is when Hayato was announced the winner."

"And...who exactly took this photo?" asks Shooti, having a bad feeling fall down his spine.

"Some guy who calls himself Cameron Clix." Kumazo turns his head to Shooti. "Why? Do you know him?"

Shooti balls his free hand into a fist, feeling an urge to go after Cameron enter his mind before he shakes his head.

"No," he answers. "I don't."

Kumazo takes the cup of tea into his hands, takes a small sip, then sighs.

"A few days after that, a letter from I2 arrived," he continues. "It stated that Pegasus himself wanted Chumley to have an internship over the summer where he could hone his craft into making more cards. When Hayato found out about it, we had a big fight which culminated in me (once again) kicking his ass.

"That seemed to be the last straw. Hayato took his prized card out of my hands and ran off. I chased after him, but then…"

"He got ran over by a car?" Bel finishes.

Kumazo shakes his head. "He ran all the way to the Café in Wonderland for sanctuary and I caught up with him ten minutes later. I dragged my son to a private room to settle our argument (for I consider it rude for ladies to get involved in the 'family business') where he told me that he wished he could do what he wanted without my influence.

"After that, he just...collapsed."

Kumazo grips onto the teacup hard enough for it to crack as Shooti looks back at Bel.

"I tried everything I could to wake him up, but nothing worked," Kumazo admits. "I blamed myself for not accepting my son's talent for painting and constantly pushed what I _thought_ was best for him until it caused him to snap. I didn't even get to look at the card he created until after he collapsed.

"What's the importance of the card?" Shooti asks, moving to the left to view both father and son in Australia.

"A year ago, my son and I visited Australia and climbed up Uluru in the early morning. By the time we got up there, dawn approached. It was the most beautiful thing either of us had seen in our entire life."

"So much that he made it into a card," Bel whispers. "Kumazo-san, that card is still on Hayato, right?"

"It's in his deck in his bedroom," says Kumazo. "i put it there so it wouldn't get ruined while he's in the hospital. Why is that so important?"

"Can you let us see it?" asks Shooti. "It may be the key in letting Hayato wake up."

Kumazo looks at the two with little hesitation before he finishes the last of his tea and motions for the kids to follow him. A few seconds later, the older man takes them through a hallway and opens the second door on the left, revealing his son's bedroom.

The room contains a neatly made bed with a koala plushie nestled between the pillows, posters of Australia taped to the walls, a desk that has a stack of sketchbooks and crumbled paper, and to the side next to the closet is an easel that has a half-finished painting of a maiden with blond hair and green feathery wings of a quetzal looking over the horizon.

Shooti can't help but feel jealous. It's clear that the woman in the painting is a representation of Bel (whether or not Hayato knows that is a different story).

Bel scans the room and finds a drawer by the desk. She approaches it, opens the drawer and finds a deck of cards inside. She picks the cards up and searches through them before finding the card that matches the photo.

"This is it," she says, handing the card to Shooti. "You know what to do."

Shooti takes the card and takes a photo of it for reference. He quickly sends a message to Ghostrick Mary before handing the card back to Kumazo.

"Thank you for your time," he says. "And we promise that your son will be back eating grilled cheese sandwiches in no time."

"Grilled cheese sandwiches?" Kumazo repeats. He then laughs. "I don't know where you heard that rumor, but my son only eats them because those are the only things he can cook."

"We'll keep that in mind," says Bel, taking one final look at Hayato's painting, feeling slightly embarrassed that Hayato sees her that way (Well, if the girl in the painting is _supposed_ to be her. The only time they interacted is when she once saw him painting in the park). "Well, it's time for us to go."

Shooti drags Bel out of the room (but not before Bel hands the rest of Hayato's deck to the older man) as they race out to the front door. Kumazo looks at the cards in his hands before he silently sits down at the side of his son's bed, his eyes locked on the Spell Card depicting a glorious sunrise.

"Hayato," Kumazo states to himself. "After this is done, I promise to take you to Australia and see what type of painting comes to your mind.

"Maybe, instead of a sunrise, perhaps you'll do a sunset instead."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Does this mean I automatically win the duel?" Kanata asks timidly, about three minutes after Chumley stopped moving (Has it really three minutes? Hard to tell in Wonderland).

Chumley suddenly blinks and looks around. "Um, where are we?"

"We're in a duel," Kanata answers, relieved that Chumley is back to normal. "I was starting my turn, if it's okay with you."

Chumley smiles, and it seems to make him look more alive. "Sure, it's your move."

"Right then," says Kanata just as Serena notices the new message on her phone. Just as she picks it up, Noah turns to her.

"You seem to be obsessed with that thing," he notes. "Care to tell us why?"

"It's... it's because I am worried for my mother," Serena blurts out (which isn't a total lie; her mother would probably be panicking if she learns how her daughter is in Wonderland). "I mean, it would be frightening for her to know I somehow landed here."

"Why should you care for her? I mean, parents pay no attention to their child's wishes."

Serena frowns, taking a final look at Ghostrick Mary's message before setting her phone down. "Parents want what's best for their children because they love them a lot. But sometimes, if you love someone so much, you set them free and let them grow up with the knowledge that they can find their way in the world."

Meanwhile, Kanata draws her card.

"All right, old chum," she states. "I'm about to tell you something important about my deck. You see, unlike most Xyz monsters that need a specific amount of materials to be summoned, Zoodiac Xyz monsters can be summoned by tributing one Zoodiac monster whose name is different than the one I choose to summon!"

"What?!" Chumley exclaims. "That's not fair at all!"

"Yes it is," Kanata smirks. "So now, I'll offer my Zoodiac Ratpier (or Pamela, as I will name her) to summon Zoodiac Drident onto the field!"

Zoodiac Ratpier smirks before she leaps into the Overlay Network once again.

" _Unleash your mighty flames, Zodiac Warrior of the Dragon! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Go, Zoodiac Drident!"_

In place of Zoodiac Ratpier, a masculine warrior with short brown horns and magenta hair emerges. He is dressed in white with green and magenta boots and a bronze gauntlet covering his right hand that grasps a long trident where a dragon winds around the staff. A long scaly tail colored green and magenta wraps around his legs and floating above his head is a white orb marked with the Kanji character for "Rat". (?/? -) 800/600)

"That's not enough to fight off my Big Koala," Chumley observes.

"That's because I haven't activated Whiptail's ability," says Kanata. "He can attach himself onto an Xyz Monster during either of our turns."

"If he can do so, why didn't you use that ability on Chakanine?"

"Because if I wanted to use Chakanine's effect, I would have to give up a powerful Xyz Material to do so, and I wouldn't have enough materials to summon my other Xyz monsters.

"And Whiptail has a powerful effect; when he's an Xyz Material, the monster that fights yours will Banish it after the Damage Step!

When Chumley gulps, Kanata replies with a smirk. "Ready, Whiptail?"

 _Call_ _me "Zhora" next time._ Zoodiac Whiptail hisses before he transforms into a shimmering orb of light marked with the Kanji character for "Snake" and circles Zoodiac Drident. (800/600 -) 2400/1100)

"Okay…" Chumley gulps. " _Still_ not a big threat to Big Koala."

"I'm not done yet," says Kanata. "Now, by detaching an Xyz Material from Zoodiac Drident, he can destroy one face-up card on the field. And the Xyz Material I choose to detach is Zoodiac Ratpier, which means my third Ratpier appears on the field in Defense Mode!"

As a third Zoodiac Ratpier emerges (0 -) 300 DEF) and Kanata sends another card to the graveyard, Zoodiac Drident hoists his trident and hurls it at Big Koala, watching as the large beast explodes into shards of light.

"And I'm not finished. Now I'll Xyz Summon another Zoodiac monster through Ratpier...my Zoodiac Tigermortar!"

 _I wish you would call me Thea next time._ Zoodiac Ratpier huffs as she transforms into an orb of light and leaps into a newly formed Overlay Network.

" _Tiger, tiger burning bright, arm the cannons and release your jungle fury now! Xyz Summon!_

 _Rank 4! Roar, Zoodiac Tigermortar!"_

The third Xyz Monster appears with a roar. It is a girl about eight years old with short goldenrod hair (where two black stripes decorate her sideburns), tiger ears and a long curled tiger tail wearing a blue blouse, blue and silver kneepads and blue silk slippers. Her weapon is a large orange and blue cannon lined in black and topped with a tiger that she sits on top of, her gauntlet covered left hand gripping on the side so she doesn't fall down. A sphere marked with the Kanji character for "Rat" floats around her. (?/? -) 800/600)

"Now I attack! Zoodiac Drident, or Shinji, attack with Dragon Fire Burst!"

 _Right!_ says Zoodiac Drident, his weapon wreathed in fire before he hurls it at Tree Otter, the monster letting out a shriek before erupting in flames.

 **(Kanata: 5500) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 5300)**

"And you, Blake," Kanata points to Zoodiac Tigermortar. "Attack directly with Burning Bright Big Bang!"

 _Okay!_ says Zoodiac Tigermortar, grinning as her cannon begins to glow. _Fire!_

A blast of energy fires from the cannon and collides with Chumley's Duel Disk.

 **(Kanata: 5500) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 4500)**

"And I end my turn there," Kanata says. "You're up."

Chumley nods. "Since I played Offerings to the Doomed, I have to skip my Draw Phase. But, I can still draw cards with Pot of Greed!"

The common green grinning pot appears as Chumley draws two cards.

"Then, I activate my Trap Card, Dust Tornado!"

Chumley's card flips over before a tornado blows away Kanata's Zodiac Sign, the night sky vanishing and decreasing the attacks of Zoodiac Drident and Tigermortar to 1700 and 500 respectively.

"And then, I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Big Koala onto the field!"

Kanata looks up as the large blue koala appears once more, this time with a very angry look on its face. (2700 ATK)

"I caught on with your cards," says Chumley. "While I _could_ do more damage by destroying Tigermortar, Drident is the more dangerous one. So….."

 _Save me!_ Zoodiac Drident screams as Tigermortar shakes her head.

 _I can't. I'm sorry!_ Tigermortar mews as Big Koala charges towards them.

Zoodiac Drident has no time to scream as he is trampled by the large koala. Seconds later, the koala vanishes from the field.

 **(Kanata: 4900) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 4500)**

"Wait a second," says Millefeui. "You _willingly_ let a monster like that go into battle against a Zoodiac Xyz Monster with Whiptail as an Xyz Material? You just left yourself open for a direct attack!"

"Maybe that's what I want," says Chumley. "I play Burial from a Different Dimension to bring back my Banished Big Koala and Tree Otter back to my graveyard."

Millefeui curses under her breath as Chumley slips two cards back to his graveyard then nods his head..

"And that means it's my turn," says Kanata, drawing a card. "First off, I play Pot of Avarice."

A pink pot with a grinning face appears as five cards are ejected from Kanata's graveyard. She shuffles them back into her deck then proceeds to draw two cards, giving her a hand of five.

"And you know," she says. "You're right in that Zoodiac Drident was the bigger threat. But you won't be able to stop _this_ , now will you?"

Kanata's face-down card flips, revealing five Zoodiac monsters fighting off a dragon, with Ratpier in the air, weapon ready to slice the dragon's head clean off.

"My Zoodiac Combo lets me take a Zoodiac monster from my deck and attached it as an Xyz Material. So now I'll take the Zoodiac Thoroughblade I returned thanks to Pot of Avarice and give Blake some horsepower! Get it? Because Thoroughblade is a…"

"We get it," Noah interjects. Kanata promptly sticks her tongue out at him.

Tigermortar roars as the spirit of Zoodiac Thoroughblade hovers by her side before transforming into an orb of light marked with the Kanji character for "Horse". (500/300 -) 2100/300)

"And next," Kanata continues. "I play Zoodiac Bunnyblast in Attack Mode!"

Appearing once more is the pink haired member of the Zoodiac warriors, her weapon by her side. (800 -) 900 ATK)

"Time for a Direct Attack!" says Kanata. "Zoodiac Bunnyblast, Zoodiac Tigermortar...attack with Tiger and Bunny Bombardment!"

 _Roger!_ Both monsters shout as they charge their weapons. _3…2….1!_

A blast from a blunderbuss and cannon zoom across the field and hit Chumley right in the stomach, causing him to fly back and hit his easel with a loud crash.

 **(Kanata: 4900) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 1500)**

"Oh no!" Kanata exclaims. "Chumley, are you okay?"

"Ugh...I think so," Chumley answers, slowly getting up. He turns around to see the easel tipped over and his unfinished painting by the side. Fortunately, the paint has dried so nothing is ruined. "But man, those pack quite a punch just like a good grilled cheese sandwich on a hot summer day."

"Especially if you add grilled onions and roast chicken," Kanata adds, placing a card face-down. "Hope you draw something good or I win the duel next turn!"

"I hope so, too," says Chumley, drawing his card. "Wow, check it out! I play Card of Demise!"

The card appears, showing a man in a green hooded cloak looking in horror at a deck of cards about to be cut in half via guillotine. Chumley draws until he has a hand of five cards. One of them, he sees, resonates with him somehow.

"Chumley?" asks Alice. "Is something wrong?"

"Um, no," Chumley answers. "It's fine. Just...thinking…"

"Do you think…" Serena trails off, showing a photo to Haruka on her phone. Haruka nods her head.

"What's going on?" asks Millefeui. "Why are you two whispering like that?"

"We'll explain later," Serena answers. "I think the duel is gonna end soon."

"I play Polymerization!" Chumley announces. "And I fuse my newly drawn Big Koala and Des Kangaroo to summon Master of Oz in Attack Mode!"

Two monsters (a Big Koala and a green furred kangaroo in a purple vest, shoes and red boxing gloves) leap into the sky as Chumley chants,

" _Great size of the koala and the furious punches of a kangaroo. He's here to fight, and to give the old one-two! Fusion Summon! Master of Oz!"_

Then a new monster lands, causing the room to quake. It is a Big Koala with the coloration and outfit of Des Kangaroo. For some reason, it also has a mustache. (4000 ATK)

"Aye yi yi…" Kanata gasps out.

"I'm not done," says Chumley. "Now I play my special card, Ayers Rock Sunrise!"

The Spell Card appears, depicting Ayers Rock, aka Uluru, with a sun rising. Then, the sun begins to shine as the spirits of monsters in Chumley's graveyard materialize.

"It's beautiful…" Alice gasps out.

"This card allows me to first Special Summon a Beast-type monster from my graveyard…" Chumley begins

A Big Koala emerges, calmly eating eucalyptus leaves. (2700 ATK)

"And then, I can decrease the attack points of one of your monsters by 200 for every Beast, Winged-Beast and Plant monster I have in the graveyard! So your tiger is now 1000 points weaker. Get her!"

The spirits of Eucalyptus Mole, Des Koala, Tree Otter, Big Koala and Des Kangaroo fling themselves onto Tigermortar, the Zoodiac monster yowling in pain. (2100 -) 1100 ATK)

Meanwhile, Kanata looks as if she has seen a favorite celebrity walk by.

"I remember now…" she gasps out. "I _remember now_!"

Chumley shakes his head. "Remember what?"

"That card!" Kanata answers. "That was the card that won a contest a while back! You're Hayato Maeda, that super talented artist!"

"I...am?" Chumley blinks.

"Yeah!" Kanata answers, pumped up. "I remember that you entered the Café in Wonderland one night and showed Millefeui and I that card before your father dragged you out!"

"That's true," says Millefeui, snatching Serena's cellphone and shows the picture of Chumley (Hayato) proudly displaying his card. "It's said that you impressed Pegasus with your talent that he wanted to give you a job at his company!"

"Really?!" Masato gasps out. "Wait, then why is he here now?"

"His father of Summer Sunrise Sake Brewery came and they had a fight," Kanata answers as the memory comes back to her. "They were taken to one of the private rooms and argued for a few minutes. Then, everything became silent because Hayato fell unconscious. Hayato has been in a coma ever since!"

"Hang on a second," says Serena, turning to Millefeui. "You never mentioned anything about that back when Haruka showed that picture of him…"

Millefeui blushes in embarrassment. "It's because I had my doubts on whether or not Hayato collapsing at the café was related to said incidents of people falling unconscious or it was a strange coincidence. But now...I think it makes sense."

"Your father was so worried for you," Kanata continues. "He doesn't drink as much anymore and just wants you back."

Chumley pauses as the memory surfaces in his mind. "He does?"

Kanata nods her head. "The return of a loved one is strong enough to overpower the allure of 'hot sauce', as mom told us before. I think you keep painting sunrises because they hold a significant meaning to you and your father, right?"

"You're right!" says Chumley, staring at his painting. "A year ago, we went to Australia together but only if I promised dad I never dueled again because he never understood the meaning of it. But just as I was about to toss my cards off Uluru, I saw that sunrise...it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

"I made a vow right then and there that I would become stronger and now…"

Kanata smiles. "Your father would want to know that you're in peak condition and then you'll be on your way to I2 doing what you do best. After all, a wise man once said that if you do what you love, you never have to work a day in your life.

"Come on, let's finish the duel so you can wake up and see your old man, okay?"

Chumley smiles back and, for a moment, Noah looks...angry. "Yeah, let's do so. Master of Oz, attack with Uluru Uppercut!"

Master of Oz draws its arm back before delivering a blow to Zoodiac Tigermortar that sends her flying into the sky with a meow.

 **(Kanata: 2000) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 1500)**

"And I have more coming up," Chumley continues. "I play Defusion to bring back Big Koala and Des Kangaroo!"

Master of Oz glows before he is split into his two components, both showing scores of 2700 and 1500 Attack Points.

"Now Des Kangaroo, go after Bunnyblast!"

Bunnyblast shields herself with her blunderbuss as Des Kangaroo punches her lights out.

 **(Kanata: 1400) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 1500)**

"Bunnyblast is gone, but she gave me a gift," says Kanata. "From my graveyard, I'll Special Summon my Zoodiac Thoroughblade onto the field in Attack Mode!"

Thoroughblade emerges with a neigh, holding his sword out. (1600 -) 1700 ATK)

"Kanata!" Millefeui exclaims. "You put him in Attack Mode?!"

"Eeyup, although I can't use his ability since I don't have another Zoodiac monster in my hand," Kanata answers just as Chumley points at the swordsman.

"Big Koala, take him down under!"

Big Koala charges towards Thoroughblade before Kanata smiles.

"I activate Attack Guidance Armor to redirect your attack right back at ya!" she shouts.

Chumley gasps as a silver demonic chest plate flies onto his other Big Koala, the two large marsupials colliding before they shattered into pixels.

"I...I…" Chumley looks at his hand and sighs. "I end my turn."

"Sorry, old chum," says Kanata as she draws her card. "I summon Zoodiac Ramram in Attack Mode."

With a bleat, a Zoodiac warrior appears. It is a young boy, younger than Masato, with off-white short hair topped with ram horns dressed in brown leather armor and armored boots ending in cloven hooves. In his gauntlet covered left hand, he wields a battering ram also topped with ram horns. (400 -) 500 ATK)

"And I Xyz Summon Zoodiac Drident once more with him as material."

With a flip, Zoodiac Ramram is swapped with Zoodiac Drident. (500 -) 600 ATK)

Kanata wordlessly detaches Zoodiac Ramram from Zoodiac Drident (600 -) 100 ATK) as the dragon warrior hurls his trident at Des Kangaroo, sending the beast to the graveyard. Chumley sighs and rubs his nose.

"This was a pretty lishus duel, you know?" He says. "Next time, when we duel, I promise to make a Zoodiac card for you...maybe a cat one."

"Better live up to your word," says Kanata. "Now Thoroughblade, sorry, Philip..attack directly!"

 _Eeyup..._ says Thoroughblade as he trots toward Chumley's side of the field, bringing his weapon back…

Then, he lightly taps Chumley's shoulder with the blunt side of his sword with a smile.

 **(Kanata: 1600) - - - - - - - (Chumley: 0)**

"And that's how it's done," says Kanata, hugging Thoroughblade. "This is so amazing! My Duel Monsters can talk!"

 _Eeyup…._ Thoroughblade says as he vanishes. Meanwhile, Chumley starts gathering his cards.

"Thanks for what you did," he says, taking a card from his deck. "Here. Take this as a gift."

"Chumley, please don't give me your Sunrise card," says Kanata. "I promise to get one myself when it gets produced. Just take care of yourself, and go easy on the grilled cheese sandwiches, okay?"

"Sure. I...huh?" Chumley looks at the white outline around his body. "What's going on?"

"I think you'll find out soon enough," says Serena. "Take care Chumley, no, Hayato Maeda."

Hayato closes his eyes as the spirit of Des Koala appears by his side. The koala nods his head toward Kanata before both fade away. Alice looks in shock.

"Where did he go?" she asks.

"He woke up," Haruka answers. "Because Wonderland is nothing more than a dream."

Noah scoffs. "That's what you believe now."

Kanata watches as all of Hayato's painting supplies fade away, except for his final painting that has turned into a card. She picks it up, stares at it, then slips it into her deck.

 _Might come in handy for tougher fights._ she thinks.

"We should head off," says Alice. "If not, then it will be low tide at the Vale of Tears and we'll never be able to get to the other side."

"What are waiting for?" asks Masato. "I can't wait to see the rest of Wonderland!"

As Alice takes the picnic basket into her hand, and Noah places a kiss on her cheek, Serena snarls and hastily sends a message on her phone. She is liking Noah's closeness to Mokuba less and less.

"We'll get him back," Millefeui whispers, placing a hand on Serena's shoulder. "But our mission is to find the other missing students."

Serena nods her head as she adjusts the bill of her cap. "Remind me to give Mokuba a good slap on the face when this is over."

"Will do."

"Come on, everyone!" Alice shouts as she passes through the Door to Wonderland. "We haven't got all day!"

Serena turns to her friends, each of them ready for what lies ahead, before she chases after Alice, not knowing how or when her journey will end, but knowing that sooner or later, she will face these challenges head on.

Until then, she does not follow a white rabbit, but a friend that has found himself lost in Wonderland.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Millefeui: So, now that that's out of the way, what's next in our Adventure in Wonderland?**

 **Kanata: Seems we're off on a voyage along with Alice and his (her?) boyfriend. Doesn't that sound fun, Serena?**

 **Serena:...**

 **Haruka: Is there something wrong?**

 **Serena:...I'm fine, thanks for asking.**

 **Millefeui: Maybe a duel will cheer you up as we sail through this Vale of Tears. How about it?**

 **Masato: Yeah, and it's time to show you all what I can do! Next time, 5th Dream - "Beyond".**

 **Haruka: Good luck, Masato! I can see the outcome as clear as day!**


	6. Beyond

_**If someone was to ask me why I duel, well, I don't know how to answer that.**_

 _ **For one thing, I'm just a kid. A kid who skipped kindergarten and is currently in 5th grade at the age of nine that loves Disney animated films and can sing many of the songs in them with his eyes closed, but still just a kid.**_

 _ **That is too broad of a question. People duel for different reasons: for fun, for glory, because everyone is into it, because Duel Monsters are a better alternative than regular fist-fights, and so on and so forth.**_

 _ **But rarely does anyone duel in honor of someone who has passed away. I mean, one can dedicate films and books to people, but dueling in memoriam? That seems interesting, and perhaps a bit serious.**_

 _ **But back to that question. If you changed the question to "Why are you dueling**_ **now** _ **?", Then I can give you these as my answers.**_

 _ **The first one is that it's to pass the time as we sail across the Vale of Tears.**_

 _ **The second one is to cheer a friend up who looks like she is going to throw Alice off the ship and let her drown.**_

 _ **And the third? Because the ship's captain is a duelist who is searching for something that he'll never find, and it's up to me to help him see the truth.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **5th Dream**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Beyond**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Achoo!"

Hikari sniffles as she blows her nose and tosses the used tissue into a wastebasket next to her, lying on the sofa in the living room with a loud groan. She is glad to be free of this fever and will be able to go to school tomorrow, but she is annoyed at how she just happened to be sick a week before Alice Day at DCIS!

"How lucky am I to be sick before a very important date," she grumbles, watching a video on her laptop. "And the Drama club had to choose _Mokuba_ as my replacement! I should be the one in Wonderland, not him!" she groans and slams her hand on the back of the sofa. "I bet Serena is laughing at my predicament."

She pauses the video, depicting Serena in a green longcoat and domino mask dueling someone wearing a fedora and trenchcoat like one a private detective wears, before scrolling down the comment sections. The website she is on is her dueling blog _Dawn of the Duel_ , where she records an assortment of strange and mysterious duels that go on in Domino City (and sometimes partakes in a bit of dueling herself). The video comes from her first post, which became an instant hint, and has made Serena popular online, thus giving her the nickname "Ghostrick Girl" as _Chasing Shadows_ calls her.

Hikari would be annoyed at how that blog stole something from her, but the fact that she is acknowledged in some way doesn't bother her at all.

And, in fairness, she uses the blog in order to go after _her_ posts.

Ever since then, Hikari has dedicated her free time to look up various duelists around the city to challenge them to duels. Her most recent post -before her fever kicked in-had her duel against a scientist known as Seymour who wielded a deck of creatures that, in Hikari's opinion, are stuff even _she_ considers nuts.

Now, she has found many people curious to the stuff she records and has taken her time in bed -when she's not working on homework assignments or catching up on episodes of her favorite TV series - to read and reply to any and all comments in regards to her videos. Her first duel is still the most popular one, with many people requesting that she go challenge Serena with that Nightmare deck before they decide to do that for her.

But that will be for later, after Hikari has both compiled a deck that can go toe-to-toe with the monsters that can give one goosebumps, and she is free from this accursed sickness.

As she types a reply to someone that goes by the name of "Conway", someone walks into the living room from the kitchen and sets a tray on the table next to her.

Hikari looks up from her laptop and beams. "Shinji," she says. "What have you been up to?"

Shinji, Hikari's boyfriend (well, not really her "boyfriend" boyfriend, as they are not ready to go that way yet, but the two have been close since Hikari's mother, Ayako, brought him in as a foster child after the disappearance of his older brother a year ago) smiles as he sits down next to Hikari.

It has taken quite some time for Shinji to open up again, but worth the effort, considering how he interacts with other people nowadays.

"It's a surprise," Shunji answers. "Are you doing okay?" He notices Hikari's enpty glass of water and similar glass pitcher next to it.

Hikari smiles as Shinji pours her a glass of water. "Much better. I don't feel like I want to throw up or anything." She looks at the tray and the dish covered with a lid. "What's in there?"

Shinji smirks. "A little something I whipped up to quicken recovery. Don't be mad at me if it doesn't look good since I have never done this before, so…"

He lifts the lid as Hikari takes a look: two white plates with one having a stack of three pancakes colored red and dotted with chocolate chips topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a strawberry on top and the other having a sandwich made with charcoal bread, melted cheddar cheese, canned tuna, red onions, tomatoes and dill pickle slices. There's even a fork, knife and folded paper napkins to the side.

"What is this?" Hikari asks curiously.

"Miraculous Ladybug pancakes and a Chat Noir tuna melt," Shinji declares, recalling Hikari's fascination with the show - and desire to make a costume similar to what Ladybug wears, or, better yet, the one for Rena Rouge after she saw pictures of concept art online. "I know how much you want to be out and about right now, so I thought these would cheer you up."

"They're...beautiful!" Hikari exclaims, taking a sandwich into her hands, wrapping it with a napkin so it doesn't drip onto her bedsheets. She takes a bite and savors its taste, gooey strands of cheese stretched out before she cuts them with her teeth. After she swallows, she wraps an arm around Shinji. "This is the best recovery gift I ever had! Thank you!"

Shinji smiles as he pulls a chair to the side and seats himself down. Hikari sets the sandwich down on the plate as she finishes typing a reply to Conway before clicking a new tab on her web browser and entering the web address for _Chasing Shadows_. Shinji sighs.

"You still trying to figure out who in our school has that job?" he asks.

"That's for later," Hikari answers. "I wanna know if anything has changed in regards to the coma incidents."

"Hikari, there's no way that a coma victim is just going to _magically_ awaken after so many weeks of…"

"Someone's awaken at the hospital!" Hikari suddenly gasps.

Shinji stands up and looks over Hikari's shoulder as she reads through a new post on the forum, where the message states clear as day that someone is awake with a link to a news article added.

"But that's not possible!" Shinji exclaims. "How does one wake up from an unexplained coma?"

"Maybe it was like what happened in that _So Weird_ episode," Hikari suggests. _So Weird_ happens to be one of her favorite shows and it is what inspired her to investigate and search for anything supernatural in the first place.

Shunji raises an eyebrow. "So an electric wire somehow connects to the comatose person's mind and people can communicate with said comatose victim via laptop and a map-making program?"

"Okay, maybe not like that. But," Hikari bites her lip. "Maybe someone was able to talk to the coma victim and guide them back home through something special to them. If we knew who this coma victim was, it would make things easier."

"Okay, so one person awakened. But what are the chances of it happening again? And so soon?"

Hikari looks at Shinji and her face grows stern. "That's what we're gonna find out."

Hikari takes another bite out of her sandwich and begins to search through various news articles online. As she clicks a link to an article on the _Domino Daily News_ website, questions enter her mind. Who was the coma victim? How did they awaken? Where did they go? What did they do?

And, more importantly, what is going to happen next?

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

" _Led through the mist,_

 _by the milk-light of moon…_

 _All that was lost is revealed._

" _Our long bygone burdens,_

 _Near echoes of the spring_

 _But where have we come,_

 _And where shall we end?_

 _If dreams can't come true,_

 _Then why not pretend?"_

"That song isn't helping, Masato!" Haruka exclaims as the group walks down a forest trail.

"But Defender of the Ice Barrier loves it!" Masato exclaims, getting licked by a red fox in his arms wearing armor over its body and tail covered in blue spikes. "Besides, it was either that or 'Potatoes and Molasses'. And this song fits our situation."

"Except we actually _know_ how we landed here and we are meeting up with people who are acting as characters from Wonderland, not Dante's _Inferno_ ," Haruka reminds her brother. As she says this, she looks through some cards in her hand to see which monster she should summon, but nothing crosses her mind.

"But we have someone who can guide us, right?" asks Millefeui, tossing a card into the air. Seconds later, an adorable pink kitten wearing a purple vest drops into her arms with a soft "mew". "I'm surprised you didn't bring those dolls of yours here, Haruka."

Haruka plays a card in her Duel Disk as a Spellcaster in white and blue robes carrying a book appears by her side. "Actually, they're in my bag as we speak, but they're taking a nap right now." She then looks at Serena, who hasn't even bothered to try summoning a monster. "Something wrong?"

"Hmm?" says Serena, turning around. "You say something, Haruka?"

"She asked if something was wrong," says Kanata, watching Zoodiac Bunnyblast point her weapon at something rustling behind some bushes (which turns out to be a Black Cat with a White Tail) before the gun-wielding bunny girl turns her attention somewhere else. "You haven't said anything since we started walking."

"That's because there's nothing to talk about," Serena answers, looking back at Alice and Noah holding hands. She can hear Noah recite "You are Old, Father William" and can tell that he is at the last verse.

' _You are old,' said the youth, 'one would hardly suppose  
_ _That your eye was as steady as ever;  
_ _Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose—  
_ _What made you so awfully clever?'_

' _I have answered three questions, and that is enough,'  
_ _Said his father; 'don't give yourself airs!  
_ _Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?  
_ _Be off, or I'll kick you down stairs!'_

Alice claps her hands as Noah smiles. Serena snarls and marches herself towards them, stepping in-between the two.

"Well!" Noah exclaims. "If you don't like my poetry, you should just say so."

"Was it not to your liking, Serena?" Alice inquires.

"It wasn't," Serena comments. "But I know a verse that would work _perfect_ if used for future travelers that should be posted onto the Door to Wonderland. It goes like this:

" _Through me you pass into the city of woe:_ _  
Through me you pass into eternal pain:_ _  
Through me among the people lost for aye._

" _Justice the founder of my fabric moved:_ _  
To rear me was the task of Power divine,_ _  
Supremest Wisdom, and primeval Love._

" _Before me things create were none, save things_ _  
Eternal, and eternal I endure._

" _Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."_

There is silence as Serena's friends share a glance. They all know how Mokuba has an attachment to _The Divine Comedy_ , which even extends to his monsters in his deck based on demons that resided in the Eighth Circle, and seeing as they helped Hayato by making him remember his Ayers Rock Sunrise Card then surely this should work...right?

Alice blinks for a second or two, but then claps her hands together.

"Why, that was such lovely writing!" she comments. "Did you make it yourself?"

"No!" Serena exclaims. "That was something you used to tell us whenever you dueled! You dueled with monsters that hailed from the Burning Abyss!"

"That sounds dreadful!" Alice shouts.

"Not as dreadful as that attempt of a British accent," Millefeui notes, gaining an jab to the stomach by her sister.

"If we had his deck, this could be easier to explain," says Haruka. "But... didn't Lily say that the deck was in Mokuba's backpack...in _her shop_?"

Masato groans. "If we had the time, we could have taken it with us. How are we going to free Mokuba now?"

Haruka stays quiet as the seven continue to walk on their path, Noah wrapping an arm around Alice's shoulder and pulling her close, if only to trigger a reaction from Serena. Serena, for the most part, distracts herself by looking through the cards of her deck and pulls one out - which depicts a disheveled raven - and contemplates whether or not to summon it so she can peck Noah's eyes out.

After flipping the card back and forth between her fingertips, she decides not to, and looks through various cards in her hand as if contemplating their meaning before giving up on that and slips the cards back into a deck holder strapped to her belt.

Noah and Alice momentarily stop, causing everyone else to bump into them before they look past the two. In front of them is a large body of water, the sign next to it reading "The Vale of Tears" with a notice that sailing time would not be for another three hours.

"Oh no," Noah groans. "The Vale of Tears is on low tide...and the only way to make it full is with tears."

"Oh great," says Kanata. "Too bad we left a 5 lb bag of onions back at our house. I bet Philip could slice them all for an instant crystorm, and then we can consume them in case we spot any yellow-spotted lizards nearby."

"It doesn't work that way," says Noah. "It has to be _genuine_ tears, not something shed by a crocodile. This could take some time."

"Maybe we can find some tear-jerking stuff to think about?" Haruka suggests, watching her white spellcaster flip through the book in his hand.

"But we don't have time!" Serena exclaims, yanking Alice away from Noah. "Mokuba, you have to remember me... remember us…We're your best friends!"

"I... I'm sorry…" says Alice, slowly stepping away from Serena. "I don't know any of you. Maybe, if you said your names, it would come back to me. I am sure that, like dear Chumley…"

"Hayato," Haruka corrects.

"I am sure that your names will _mean_ something if you give them to me," says Alice. "Now, care to introduce yourselves?"

The five kids look to each other and nod their heads.

"Serena."

"Millefeui."

"Kanata!"

"Haruka."

"Masato."

Alice slowly nods her head and imagines that she is taking a photograph of the five in front of her, then writing their names with a pen next to each face. There is silence as Alice tilts her head to the side and rubs her chin as she waits for a memory to resurface.

"You and I met three years ago," Serena begins. "You were playing a game at school one day called Capsule Monsters (sort of like chess, but with Duel Monsters) and taught me how to play it. I sucked at first, but you encouraged me to do better. And I told you about my past, of how I lost my brother when I was young…" Serena's eyes start to water. "Don't you remember any of that?"

"...I can't say that I do," Alice answers apologetically. Noah scowls and steps forward.

"I think you have said enough," he says, standing in-between Serena and Alice. "What we need is a way to get to the other side, not to give Alice an identity crisis." Noah then drapes and arm around Alice's shoulder. "Come on, let's try and figure out an alternative way to make the Vale rise."

"Don't you _dare_ treat Mokiba like he's your pet!" Serena screams as more and more tears fall down her eyes. "You don't know anything about him!"

"Oh, I know a lot of things," Noah replies as he turns around. He smirks as he adds, "And that's a fact."

And this is what causes Serena to scream in anguish as more tears fall down.

"Mokuba can't be gone…" she says. "Mokuba, you have to remember! Like that time you helped me on my science project last year, or the time we raced across Domino Park on roller skates... Don't you remember last Christmas when I knitted you that infinity scarf? Don't you remember _any_ of that?"

But Serena knows how Alice will answer, and just drops to her knees, pounds her fist to the ground and lets more and more tears fall down her face as her friends look on. Simultaneously, the water level begins to rise in the Vale of Tears.

"It's working!" Alice exclaims. "Serena, you're doing a great job!"

"Shut up! Go eat worms!" Serena screams as Millefeui places a reassuring hand on the tomboy's shoulder before she starts sobbing once more. "I don't want your pity at all, you...you _witch_! "

"How _dare_ you be so cruel to my Alice!" Noah snaps, approaching the heartbroken girl. "Now I know you're angry, but that gives you no reason to be so rude."

"This is all your fault!" Serena snarls, looking up at Noah and about ready to punch him. It is only thanks to Kanata and Millefeui restraining her that she doesn't tackle Noah to the ground. "You did something to him! You did something to mess Mokuba's mind up and now he thinks he's Alice in Wonderland! How could you do that to my friend?"

"...Friend?" Noah states. He then lets out a sigh. "For a second there, I thought you were going to say that Mokuba was your boyfriend or something."

That does it, and it is only from Alice exclaiming about how the Vale is now at high tide that prevents Serena from delivering a well deserved punch to the face. Everyone takes a look to see a ship sailing towards them, one that makes Serena and her friends recall the Skull Mariner Monster Card, but the figurehead is of Alice Liddell if she happened to transform into a mermaid, and someone waves to them from the crow's nest, a proud grin on his face. Serena and her friends look confused as Haruka searches through her phone for a match.

The person is an adult male in his 20s, with dark blue hair that spikes up front and tied as a ponytail, and his tanned, muscular body adorned in a fisherman's outfit consistent of a cotton shirt and pants the color of an ocean wave and trimmed with white. Said person delivers a broad grin to the seven children.

"Ahoy!" The figure says. "Are ye wishing to sail cross this Vale?"

"We are, brave sir!" Alice answers as sailors hoist the anchor with a loud splash. "Tell us your name, dear captain."

"Call me Mako Tsunami, my dear. And...is it true?" Mako leans close. "Alice, is that you?"

Noah smirks. "Who else can it be? Now come on, we need to head off. I have brought Alice here so she can be reacquainted with all of Wonderland and we should hurry before the Caucus Race ends."

"Sounds like a noble cause," says Mako. "And bring your friends too! The more the merrier I say."

As a gangplank is brought out for everyone, Masato, Haruka and Kanata recall their respective Duel Monsters and help Serena stand up.

"Wow!" Masato exclaims, seeing Serena wipe the tears from her eyes. "Serena, that was some very convincing acting back there. You almost had me fooled and…"

"Masato," Haruka hisses, pushing him to the side before lowering her voice. "...She wasn't acting."

Masato's look of awe quickly turns into one of embarrassment. "...Oh."

As Haruka takes Masato to the ship -and simultaneously sends a picture to Serena's phone - Serena looks at Mako and narrows her eyes. While Noah is helping Alice get onboard, Serena pulls out her cellphone and sends a quick text message before she follows her friends towards the next part of her journey, wiping one last tear falling down the corner of her eye as she goes after them.

Crying will be for later, after she saves everyone in Wonderland and rescues Mokuba from whatever wicked spell that has been cast on him.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Good news," says Shooti, looking at an online article on his phone. "Hayato has woken up from the hospital."

"Has he now?" asks Bel as the two race toward their next destination. There were benefits to being Dark Signers, like the bursts of speed obtained without getting winded, as Shooti scrolls through the article.

"Yeah. They don't say his name, but given how Kanata dueled him down in Wonderland, it's the most logical explanation."

Bel nods her head. "Who's next on our list?"

"Well…" Shooti pauses as Ghostrick Mary pops up on his phone and types a new message. "Hold that thought."

 _-Serena and the others have met up with Mako Tsunami.-_ The Ghostrick monster's message reads. _-Here is a picture of him.-_

A picture of Mako appears seconds later as Shooti blinks. Bel looks at the photo and gasps as Shooti replies with...

-You serious? This is Champion duelist Ryoji Kajiki! How did _he_ get to Wonderland?-

Mary shrugs her shoulders. _-I'm not lying! I am a Lady of the Mirror and we_ always _reflect the truth! What do we do?-_

-Tell Serena to get someone to duel him. I know someone who was investigating Ryoji's disappearance.-

 _-Roger! Going ghost!-_

Mary vanishes from the screen as Shooti clicks his tongue before turning heel and walking off.

"Shooti, that isn't the way to the _Chasing Shadows_ building!" Bel exclaims, chasing after him.

"The person investigating Ryoji doesn't work there," Shooti explains. "They're freelance."

"So we're just going to barge into someone's house and asked for their files?"

"Yep."

Bel looks at him as if he is crazy before sighing. "How do we know that they'll agree with helping us out?"

Shooti smirks as he types in an address on the GPS. "Because if I know Hikari, once her mind is settled on a scoop, she latches onto it like fur on a dog."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _Adrift in oceans of madness and seas of fear...  
Awash in whirlpools of hunger and waves of tears...  
Asleep, my nightmares are merely a dazed ordeal.  
Awake, I scarcely remember which dreams were real..._

 _So I'll start poking around  
Until this thread is unwound,  
And though the nightmares abound,_

 _I'll keep on standing my ground.  
But as the clues all compound,  
I've near conclusively found  
I'm still asleep…"_

"Such a lovely song!" Alice exclaims as she approaches the singer. "Serena, you have such a nice voice."

Serena stays silent, arms folded across her chest as she stares out across this sea of tears, waiting for land. Alice tilts her head.

"Did I say something wrong?" Alice inquires, inching a hand towards the sullen girl. "Serena…"

"I want to be alone right now," Serena states, gritting her teeth as she pushes Alice's hand away. Alice steps back sadly while Millefeui notices this and looks away from the sea.

"Still mad about Noah?" she whispers.

Serena nods her head as she sees Alice sit near Noah, Haruka sitting on a crate as she reads through a book she pulled out from her satchel, a copy of _Akata Witch_ , and Masato singing again.

" _Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!  
We pillage and plunder, we rifle and loot  
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!  
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot  
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!_

" _Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!  
We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack  
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!  
Maraud and embezzle and even highjack  
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!_

But when no one is smiling to the song, Masato sighs. Haruka closes her book and looks up at Mako.

"So," she begins. "How did you end up in Wonderland?"

Mako looks beyond the horizon and pulls out a telescope. He extends it and places it near his left eye. "I woke up on my boat one day in the Vale of Tears, and found people needing a ship to reach the other side."

"And... that's it?"

"Well, that and I feel like I am searching for someone. Somewhere in my heart, I know that I have to find them. I think...I recall a huge storm in the distance. A monsoon…"

His voice grows distant as he says that. No one says a word for a few minutes until Masato, in an attempt to not sing "Adelaide Parade", hops off the crate he is sitting on and grins.

"You know what will make our trip go by faster?" asks Masato. "A duel! Um, Mako, right?"

"What is it?" says Mako, lowering the telescope in hand.

Masato smiles and activates his Duel Disk, white with two blue hexagons, the outer ring having spikes to resemble a snowflake, "Can we duel? I mean, it looks like we'll be here for quite some time."

"Oh, that sounds perfect!" Alice exclaims, twirling around. "I bet we'll have some sea-worthy monsters that will make this duel quite fun!"

"Depends on what you find fun," Millefeui notes. Serena nods in reply as she reads Shooti's message to her.

Meanwhile, Masato has rushed toward the center of the ship's deck as Mako walks to a chest, opens it, and pulls out his Duel Disk. He stares at it briefly before strapping it icee his left arm and takes position for the duel.

"All right then," says Mako, drawing his cards. "But don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a child."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," says Masato. "Now...let the storm rage on!"

 **(Masato: 8000) - - - - - - - (Mako: 8000)**

"I'll go first," says Masato, drawing a card.

 _Okay_. He thinks. _If he's like Ryoji, he'll have Umi in his deck somewhere to power up his monsters and get Legendary Fisherman out. So, all I have to do is prepare my cards so I can get one of my dragons out early._

 _And if I can't get them out, I need to at least stall to get my Defender combo out early. Okay, here goes nothing._

"First, I play Shard of Greed!" Masato announces. "And whenever I successfully complete my Draw Phase, I get a Greed Counter."

The Continuous Spell Card of a shard of the Pot of Greed appears.

"And next, I play Medallion of the Ice Barrier to take an 'Ice Barrier' monster from my deck to my hand."

A second Spell Card, showcasing the medallion that bears the snowflake emblem of the Ice Barrier monsters with orange beads, is played as Masato takes a card from his deck to his hand.

"And I think I shall add a face-down monster and end my turn. Let's see what you can do, Mako!"

"Gladly," Mako replies, drawing a card. "First, I play the Field Spell Card, A Legendary Ocean!"

 _Oh no!_ Masato thinks. _That Field Spell decreases the level of all Water monsters by 1, ruining my Synchro Summons!_

As Mako plays the card, the sound of church bells echo across the Vale.

"Ever heard the legend of the Sunken Cathedral?" Mako asks the group.

"It's a piano piece by Claude Debussy," Haruka answers. When everyone stares at her, she shrugs. "Piano lessons."

"Actually, the true story comes from the tale of the legendary city of Ys off the northern coast of France which was once ruled by King Gradlon and brought to ruin by his daughter, Princess Dahut over two thousand years ago. It was a grand city ruled by commerce and arts, with a palace of the finest wood, marble and gold and a dike that was built to protect it from the waves, with its key worn around the king's neck.

"While King Gradlon was noble and pious, his daughter was his opposite. She was a despot, filled with sin and had a secret lover that, some say, was the devil himself."

"Of course," Millefeui notes.

"One night, during a terrible storm, the devil appeared as a knight in red armor and convinced Dahut to run away with her. Dahut did not fear the waves or the storm; the bronze walls would protect them, and the key was around her father's neck."

"And this is the part where the devil tempts the foolish little brat of a princess to take the key off her dad's neck and cause a shitstorm to literally rain down on her kingdom and she gets karma by drowning from said storm, correct?" says Serena, raising a hand in the air.

"Oh yeah," Mako answers. "So both king and his daughter rode on the king's mystical horse, but the tide was going to swallow them whole. The king would only be spared if he sacrificed his daughter to sea, and he did so. Legends say that she became a mermaid who retells the story of her cursed form to whoever asks for it."

"Ah...that's such a cool story!" Masato exclaims. "Now I have a better appreciation for that piece nee-san is practicing on!"

"But now is not the time for music," says Mako. "I play the monster known as Warrior of Atlantis in Attack Mode!"

Rising from the eater and descending onto the ship's deck is a blue humanoid aquatic warrior with red eyes, a fin on its head and a crossbow attached to its wrist. (LV: 4 -) 3, 1900/1200 -) 2100/1400)

"And now my Warrior, attack Masato's face-down card!"

Warrior of Atlantis fires a crossbow at Masato's card, revealing a man with shoulder-length blonde hair, dressed in a red robe with gold trim, legs folded as he meditates, eyes closed. On his forehead is a snowflake tattoo. (LV: 4 -) 3, 1500/1000 -) 1700/1200)

"That was Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier," says Masato. "And he acts just like an Obnoxious Celtic Guardian; you can't destroy him if the monster used to attack has more than 1900 ATK points."

Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier smirks as a dome of magic deflects the attack before he speaks. _Ahh...you bring me out for something like this? I take it my little fox friend is coming out soon._

"Yeah, sorry about that," says Masato. "But man, this is so cool! I get to talk with my own Duel Monsters!"

 _And leave me with a migraine in the process..._ Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier mutters.

"I play three cards face-down and end my turn." Mako mutters.

Masato draws his card. As he does, Shard of Greed gains a Greed Counter. (GC: 0 -) 1)

"I play Defender of the Ice Barrier in Defense Mode!" he says.

With a yip, the fox with icicle armor emerges, wagging its tail excitedly. (LV: 2 -) 1, 200/1600 -) 400/1800)

"And as long as I have another 'Ice Barrier' monster on the field, Defender cannot be destroyed by monsters whose attack equal to his defense. And with Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier acting as a shield, then you're locked out."

 _That's definitely one of Masato's well-known strategies._ Haruka thinks. _But he'll need something more than that to defeat Ryoji._

"And I'll just place one card face-down and that's it," says Masato, placing a card behind Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier. "You're up, Mako!"

Mako draws his card. "I summon Mermaid Knight onto the field in Attack Mode!"

With a laugh, a mermaid with a bright green fish tail and a red ribbon tied to it rises into the air from the Vale of Tears and lands next to the Warrior of Atlantis. She wears blue battle armor trimmed with gold and wields a sword forged with a sea glass blade in her right hand and a shield strapped to her left one. Her magenta hair flows behind her as she slices the air a few times. (LV: 4 -) 3, 1500/900 -) 1700/1100)

"Oh, not good," says Serena. "That girl can attack twice as long as 'Umi' is on the field."

"But as long as my monsters can't be touched, it's all for naught," Masato notes.

Mako chuckles. "I wouldn't be so boastful like Princess Dahut, if I were you. I play Forbidden Chalice and I'll use it to boost the attack of your Defender of the Ice Barrier by 400 this turn, but his effect will be negated in return.

Masato's eyes widen as Defender of the Ice Barrier whimpers as they see the Spell Card Mako plays, depicting a woman with auburn hair and a bunch of grapes acting like a flower in it, dressed in a tunic and calmly drinking from a golden goblet, Even though he looks calm, Masato can also feel that the Pilgrim is shaking with fear inside. (200 -) 600 ATK)

"Oh that's bad," says Serena. "Defender of the Ice Barrier can't defend with its effect gone!"

"Now Warrior of Atlantis, attack Defender of the Ice Barrier with Atlantis Crossbow!"

Warrior of Atlantis braces his arm towards his target and fires a bolt from his crossbow. The bolt hits the poor fox as it lets out a painful whimper before disappearing.

"And Mermaid Knight, attack with Sea Blade Strike!"

Mermaid Knight cackles as she "swims" towards Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier, the meditating monster having enough time to open an eye before his opponent slices him in half. Then, Mermaid Knight grins as she raises her sword in the air.

"Masato!" Haruka exclaims, watching her brother raise his arms in the air to defend himself, Mermaid Knight's sword striking his Duel Disk with a "clunk".

 **(Masato: 6300) - - - - - - - (Mako: 8000)**

"I activate Miracle's Wake!" Masato shouts. "Now one monster you destroyed this turn get summoned back onto the field!"

Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier (LV: 4 -) 3, 1500/1000 -) 1700/1200) appear once more, meditating in Defense Mode.

"I'll end my turn there," says Mako. "Your move."

Masato draws his card. "Now that another Draw Phases has passed, that means I get a second Greed Counter. And with two Greed Counters, I can offer Shard of Greed to make two more draws.

As Shard of Greed vanishes, Masato draws two more cards for a hand of six. Then, he grins.

"I play Magic Triangle of the Ice Barrier! Now, by showing you three 'Ice Barrier' .monsters in my hand, I can destroy one card you control. So let's have that Warrior of Atlantis be like the city it came from...sinking at the bottom of the sea!"

Masato plays his card, depicting the three generals of the Ice Barrier, Gantala, Grunard and Raiho in a triangle formation, a magic seal conjured but the three as a storm rages on before he flips three cards over and shows them to Mako, all of them Ice Barrier monsters. Three beams of light shoot from the cards, forming a triangle made of light before a blast of icy magic forms in the center and obliterates Warrior of Atlantis.

"And that's not all," Masato continues.. "After I destroy a card, I can Special Summon one 'Ice Barrier' monster from my hand. And the one I choose is...General Grunard!"

Emerging from a pillar of ice is a tall warrior, whose body is covered in a dark blue armor that resembles eyes. His eyes are obscured by a strange crown made from a slab of ice, on his chest is the symbol of the Ice Barrier monsters and surrounding him are 6 large chunks of ice. (LV: 8 -) 7, 2800/1000 -) 3000/1200)

 _Young master!_ says General Grunard. _It seems we have entered unfamiliar territory._

"Yeah, I know," says Masato. "But don't worry, we'll make it out safe and sound.

"Oh Mako, since General Grunard was a Special Summon, I can bring another monster onto the field, like Dance Princess of the Ice Barrier!"

An icy figure twirls around and round before slicing the air with a pair of snowflake chakrams. It is a woman with shoulder-length lavender hair set into pigtails, wearing a maroon blouse that doubles as a snow cloak and leggings. (LV: 4 -) 3, 1700/900 -) 1900/1100)

"And when I summon her, she can send a Set Card you control back to your hand."

Dance Princess twirls a chakram before hurling it at the Set card. The chakram hits and the card bounces back to Mako's hand.

The female Ice Barrier monster then chuckles as the chakram returns to her hand like a nail attracted to a magnet. _That was easy._ She observes.

" _Too_ easy," Kanata notes. "That's not how Ryoji usually duels."

"Remember, this is Wonderland," Millefeui whispers. "It's probably affected the way people duel around here."

Masato hums to himself as he places Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier in Attack Mode (1700 ATK) before he points at Mermaid Knight, who looks a little uncomfortable at how the trio of Ice Barrier monsters are staring her down.

"Get her!" Masato shouts.

Dance Princess of the Ice Barrier hurls her chakram at the mermaid who screams before she is bisected and shatters.

 **(Masato: 6300) - - - - - - - (Mako: 7800)**

Then, General Grunard thrusts his hand forward as the six icicle spears surrounding him launch towards Mako's Duel Disk. Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier follows this up by opening his eyes and raising his right hand in the air, channeling a bolt of lightning before lowering said hand that hits Mako in the chest and the six icicle spears knock him off his feet.

 **(Masato: 6300) - - - - - - - (Mako: 3100)**.

"All right!" Masato cheers. "I already cut Mako's lifepoints by half! This is so cool!"

"Masato, be careful!" Haruka shouts. "The duel isn't over yet!"

"You're right," says Mako with a smirk.. "It's just getting started!"

Mako's face-down card, Miracle's Wake, activates. Then, Mermaid Knight appears on the field, flashing Masato a dirty look. (LV: 4 -) 3, 1500/1000 -) 1700/1200)

"I play one card face-down and end my turn," says Masato. "Make your move."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

After getting as much information as she can in regards to the awaken coma victim - the person being Hayato Maeda - Hikari turns on the TV and hooks her laptop to it so she and Shinji can watch a few episodes _Ever After High_ (they are currently on the one where Bunny Blanc attempts to kiss longtime friend, Alister Wonderland only to be interrupted by Kitty Cheshire).

As the narrator of that show rewinds time so Bunny can try again, Hikari smiles to herself as she notices Shinji relax slightly. Shinji is well known in their class for being distant, almost to the point of having a heart of stone. But Hikari knows that it is just his way of coping with the disappearance of his older brother. Deep down, Shinji has feelings for others and she has been helping him get back on his feet. In fact, it is Shinji who speaks to Hikari when the girl is depressed over many nasty rumors that get spread about her articles, even though Domino is a magical hotspot for spirits, witches and the like, or about the idea of what happened to her father (something she never tells anyone).

And Shinji was also the first to confess his feelings about the two being together, although Hikari stated that they should wait a bit longer before taking the next step.

Just as the episode reaches the part where Bunny finally plants that kiss, on the cheek, the doorbell rings.

"That's odd," says Hikari. "Mom won't be home for another hour."

Shinji approaches the door and peers into the eyehole. He turns to Hikari. "It's Shooti and Bel from school."

Hikari pauses the video - it's at the end narration anyway, so nothing lost - as Shinji opens the door and lets the two in, both dressed in their normal outfits, which, coincidentally, are orange, as Hikari raises an eyebrow.

"So," she mutters, staring at Bel, a fellow Drama Club member. "Come to rub it in my face how I lost my role as Alice to Mokuba?"

"No, but it was hilarious to see," Bel answers as she seats herself down on the sofa. "Shooti and I need your help with something."

"Sorry, can't help with Math homework, if that's what you…"

"We need you to show us your article about Ryoji Kajiki," Shooti interrupts. "This is important."

"Oh, that article? Sure let me...wait a minute," says Hikari. "Shooti, how exactly would you know about my article unless…" It dawns on her. "You! You're the one who has the job at _Chasing Shadows_ , don't you?"

Shooti blinks as Hikari looks like she is ready to strangle him. Bel steps forward to shield him, just in case, as Hikari starts ranting.

"I can't believe that _you_ would be the one reporting for them. How the hell did that happen? All you do is take photos; _I_ am the one who actually _writes_ articles and goes out reporting things!" Hikari growls. "What makes _you_ so special that you got hired for such a job?"

"Because what I did in order to get that job almost killed me," Shooti answers calmly, pushing a bad memory aside, resisting the dark powers inside him from striking Hikari in the chest. "You know that suicide thing in October?"

"Of course I do," Hikari answers, scowling. "It took place at the rooftop of our school! I wrote an article about it and everything and mom and I printed all those newsletters over the weekend in regards to getting parents to calm down about the incident itself. That stunt nearly caused the reputation of DCIS to completely plummet and we had to spend three weekends building a fence to prevent future suicides! Plus, do you know how many _shoes_ were left there?"

Shooti frowns and narrows his eyes. "Then you would know that there was at least one survivor out of them all. One who, if the heads of the cult had it planned, would collect more people to form another suicide club and continue this cycle for years to come. But said survivor put a stop to the cult and ensured that no one would have to endure such a thing ever again."

"But the only way you know about that is if…" Hikari's eyes widen. "You were there…"

Shooti nods his head. "I was the survivor, and the evidence I collected exposed the cult and sent it crashing down. After Carly Nagisa (a fellow reporter) showed them my photos and the voice evidence to the head of _Chasing Shadows_ , I was given the job as a form of protection and to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, like the strange coma incidents that have been sending people into Wonderland."

"Wonderland?" Shinji repeats. "What do you mean by 'Wonderland?'"

"...This will take some time," Bel says after a few seconds. "But basically, we believe that something might be dragging the souls of various people in Domino City into that world for some nefarious scheme, the most recent victim being Mokuba. His brother requested Serena and her friends to…."

"Hang on, just a minute," Hikari interrupts. "You mean to tell me something _big_ is happening and _Serena_ is in the middle of it all and not _**me**_?" At this, she opens the notepad program on her laptop. "Start explaining. Now."

Shooti and Bel turn to one another before Bel returns her gaze to Hikari.

"All we know is that it all started a few weeks ago," Bel begins. "We don't know who was the first victim, but we _do_ know that Hayato Maeda was one of the first identified."

Hikari nods her head as her fingers dance among the keys. "Hayato was the one who just woke up from his coma. And what about the sudden interest in my Ryoji Kajiki article?"

Shooti holds his phone out to Hikari, where Ghostrick Mary's message stares back at the blue-haired girl (Ghostrick Mary is nowhere to be seen, though).

"Because Ryoji is the ferryman for the Vale of Tears," Shooti answers. "And since you know what he was doing prior to his fall to Wonderland, we need your help to figure out what we need to 'wake' him up."

Hikari briefly scans the message before staring at Shooti, a mixture of jealousy and determination on her face. She clicks on a file on the desktop.

"This is all I can give you," she says, handing her laptop to Shooti. "Tell Serena that she owes me for this."

As Shooti begins to read the article, a thought appears in Shinji's mind. It is a question that he is uncertain about, but he plans to ask it all the same.

"Bel," he asks. "Are any of the coma victims….my brother?"

Bel slightly flinches before she notices the look in Shinji's eyes. She knows from Reiji that the older boy regrets taking the challenge that ended up killing him, and how he wishes to tell Shinji what is going on. But the idea of his brother rejecting Reiji always gnawed at him, and he never had the courage to act on it.

Miming a sigh, Bel speaks. "No, he's not in Wonderland."

"Then where is he?" asks Shinji. "Have you at least seen him? Is he all right? Is he...dead…?"

The way Shinji says it makes guilt wash over Bel; she has dreaded the day that someone tells Shinji the truth. But she can't do it now; not when there are more important matters.

"So tell me," says Hikari, breaking the silence. "What is so important about Wonderland that Serena has to chase Mokuba through it?"

"We don't know the exact details," answers Shooti. "All we know is that souls seem to act as if they have been residents in Wonderland all their lives. They go under different names and won't awaken until someone states their real name and reminds them of an important memory.

"For Hayato, he had to remember the Duel Monsters card he created, Ayers Rock Sunrise. But for Ryoji Kajiki…"

"It's in regards to his father," Hikari swiftly answers. "Ryoji duels in memory of him, who sacrificed himself so that Ryoji could survive a storm that wrecked their ship years ago."

"How do you know about this?" asks Shooti.

Hikari frowns and folds her arms across her chest. "Simple. I was there when he disappeared at Domino Pier. He was off on a sailing expedition but had a few minutes to spare when I interviewed him. But not even a few seconds after he sailed off, there was a blinding light and he and his ship just...vanished."

"Did you noticed anything else in regards to it?"

Hikari shakes her head. "No, not at the time. All I recall is the ship's name, _Queen Alice_. I had no idea why a fisherman's son would name a ship like that, but if it's related to Wonderland…"

"Then it is a ship that could ferry Alice across the Vale so she could easily travel without drowning in her tears!" Shinji states, having been silent throughout most of the discussion. "The question now is how do we deliver the message?"

"I think I can manage that," says Shooti, rapidly texting Serena.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Mako draws his card. He then smirks. "I play Codarus in Attack Mode!"

A serpentine monster with a blue body emerges. It has a lavender underbelly and three silver frond-like appendages on the sides of its face. It blinks its green eyes at Masato. (LV: 4 -) 3, 1400/1200 -) 1600/1400)

"What's that gonna do against my monsters?" Masato inquires. His Ice Barrier monsters just chuckle at the fish glaring at them.

"It's quite simple, really," Mako answers. "If I sacrifice an 'Umi' card I control, then Codarus can destroy two cards _you_ control."

"What?!"

"Codarus, I offer my Field Spell so you can drag Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier and General Grunard of the Ice Barrier to their deaths!"

Codarus swallows the sea before he spits a blast of watery energy at General Grunard and Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier, destroying them. Masato looks in horror, seeing his Dance Princess of the Ice Barrier the only monster left on his field. (LV: 3 -) 4, 1900/1100 -) 1700/900)

Mermaid Knight scowls and plants her sword on the ship's deck. (LV: 3 -) 4, 1700/900 -) 1500/700)

 _Do not be afraid, young master._ says Dance Princess of the Ice Barrier. _I can fight her._

"Without that Field Spell, Mako is in trouble," Alice notes. "How will he fight off against Masato's Ice Barrier monsters?"

"It's quite simple," Mako answers. "I activate my face-down card Forgotten Temple of the Deep!"

The card flips, revealing a Continuous Trap Card that depicts a Grecian temple looking over the sea.

"A card based on Athens, huh?" asks Millefeui. "Interesting."

"Yes, and it also acts like 'Umi' as long as it stays on the field," Mako replies. "So that means my monsters, and _only_ my monsters, benefit from the power boost."

Mermaid Knight chuckles. (1500/700 -) 1700/900)

"And next, I play my Equip Spell Card, Aqua Mirage! With this card equipped, it acts as a second Xyz Material if the monster that's attached to it is used for an Xyz Summon!"

"You have an Xyz Monster?!" Masato gasps.

Mako smirks. "Yup."

The Equip Spell Card, a dolphin with a purple upper body and a red jewel on its forehead, wraps around Codarus.

 _And Codarus is back to its original level since A Legendary Ocean is gone._ Masato thinks. _What type of monster will Mako play?_

"I unleash the Overlay Network!" Mako announces. "Go Codarus!"

Codarus swims round and round before it leaps into the black portal in front of Mako. Mako takes a deep breath before chanting.

" _Legendary monster who lurks within the waters. It's time to rise up and crush the opposition with the rising tide! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Rise to the surface, Abyss Dweller!"_

With a bellowing roar, the Xyz Monster breaches from the water, a large black serpentine dragon creature with blue crystal spikes trailing across its body. (1700 -) 1900 ATK)

"I should mention that if a Water monster was used to summon it, Abyss Dweller gives all Water monsters I control an additional 500 attack points. Just to let you know." says Mako.

Abyss Dweller and Mermaid Knight glow with a watery aura as they stare at Dance Princess of the Ice Barrier, who looks slightly unnerved. (Abyss Dweller: 1900 -) 2400 ATK, Mermaid Knight: 1700 -) 2200 ATK)

"Now my monsters, attack!"

Abyss Dweller opens his mouth and unleashes a blast of water that strikes Dance Princess hard enough to be flung out of the ship and drop into the Vale of Tears. Masato can only gulp as Mermaid Knight suddenly appears before him and then hits two diagonal slices with her sword, causing him to grit his teeth to avoid screaming as he drops to his knees, clutching his sides.

 **(Masato: 1200) - - - - - - - (Mako: 3100)**

"Not bad," Masato pants. "But I'm gonna turn this around soon enough!"

Masato's face-down card, Shock Draw, flips over. The boy quickly draws five more cards, granting him a total of seven cards in his hand.

"That was simultaneously crazy _and_ stupid!" Noah observes. "But do you think it'll be enough to stop him?"

"I end my turn by placing my last two cards face-down," says Mako, slipping two cards into his Duel Disk. "Hope those cards give you the edge you need."

Meanwhile, Serena feels her phone vibrate and pulls it out from her jacket pocket. She quickly scans through the message, but looks in confusion at what she reads.

-Bel and I are with Hikari and Shinji. Hikari has information on how Ryuji got sent to Wonderland. I'm sending the document she sent me to your phone. You need to make him remember about his father to break the spell off of him.-

Serena quickly types, - _How does Hikari fit in this equation?_ -

A minute later, Shooti answers, -Don't ask. But she can be a good asset in retrieving information. Just trust her; you have no choice in the matter.-

- _Fine, fine._ \- Serena replies as she sees the downloadable file, and scans through it. Then, she subtly hands the phone to Haruka, who nods her head and watches Masato rise to his knees and draw a card. The boy stares at it briefly before a plan formulates in his mind.

"Since you now control 4 more cards than I do," he begins. "I get to Special Summon Medium of the Ice Barrier from my hand in Attack Mode!"

Emerging onto the field is a young woman with sea-green hair wearing a cyan dress marked with the Ice Barrier symbol, and trimmed with gold. Her eyes are also golden orbs and she looks as if in a trance, or perhaps it is pain, while a spectral image of a dragon with gold eyes hovers above her head. (2200 ATK)

"And when she's on the field, you can only activate a Spell or Trap card once per turn. And since she was a Special Summon, I Normal Summon Sacred Spirit of the Ice Barrier!"

A new monster emerges, an old bearded man wearing a blue priest hat and cloak surrounded by a frosty aura. (1600 ATK)

"Normally, Sacred Spirit is just that, a Spirit. If I don't have another 'Ice Barrier' monster on the field when he's summoned, he goes back to my hand. But since Medium of the Ice Barrier is also here - I guess you can say she summoned him onto the Field - then his effect allows me to take a card you control back to your hand.

"So Abyss Dweller, go back to your homeland and take your friends with you!"

Sacred Spirit of the Ice Barrier brings his hand out as a blast of icy wind blows through the field and hurls Abyss Dweller far, far away.

As the monster is returned to Mako's Extra Deck, he doesn't seem to notice Mermaid Knight biting her lip in fury. Masato's monsters, however, do notice.

 _I sense something off about her!_ Medium of the Ice Barrier gasps. _She...she is cursed!_

Sacred Spirit of the Ice Barrier nods his head. _You need to get rid of her soon, young master. That's the only way we can win this and free him._

"Got it," says Masato with a bob of his head. "Now I play Mystical Space Typhoon to make sure your Forgotten Temple of the Deep stays there!"

A typhoon blasts through the field and shatters Mako's Trap Card as Mermaid Knight loses her power. (1700/900 -) 1500/700)

"Now go Medium of the Ice Barrier, attack with Spiritual Dragon Stream!"

Medium of the Ice Barrier brings her hand out, and the spirit of the icy dragon above her head opens its mouth and fires an icy breath at the mermaid, covering her head to toe in ice before she shatters.

 **(Masato: 1200) - - - - - - - (Mako: 2400)**

"Not so fast," Mako grunts. "I activate...Torrential Reborn!"

Mako's face-down card flips, revealing a large pool of water and a strange silhouette underneath a geyser of it, its red eyes glaring at Masato.

"This card allows me to Special Summon any and all face-up Water monsters I control if they were destroyed either by battle or card effect. And by doing so, you lose 500 lifepoints for each monster summoned."

Torrential Reborn glows as Mermaid Knight appears once more. (1500/700 -) 1700/900)

And at seeing Mermaid Knight prepare her sword once more, Masato just groans. Loudly.

"I am sick and tired of this!" Masato exclaims. "That monster isn't like you! You use different types of sea creatures, not some deck symbolising the fall of an island kingdom caused by debauchery! Why do you keep clinging onto this siren like a security blanket?"

Mako blinks. "W-what do you mean? Mermaid Knight represents something that I'm supposed to find."

"The legendary Sunken Cathedral? No! You're not searching for something at all!"

"What would you know about me?"

Masato narrows his eyes. "I know about your father."

At this, Mako freezes. Mermaid Knight gasps. Noah snarls and glares at Serena, who smirks in reply.

"Mako Tsunami," Masato begins. "You and your father once sailed the ocean having so many adventures. But then, during a very powerful storm, your father pulled an Odysseus by tying you to the mast of the rope just before the waves swallowed your ship whole. The boat reached shore safely, but your father…"

"My...father…" Mako mumbles.

Masato shakes his head. "Your father died."

Alice covers her mouth with her hands. Haruka just nods her head as Masato continues.

"And so you duel in honor of him, and your special card isn't Mermaid Knight but The Legendary Fisherman! The card represents your father; the person you aspire to be the most! You don't need to rely on the legends of a sunken city caused by someone's foolishness. You are brave, mighty, powerful! You are a mighty legendary warrior of the sea, harvesting its bounties and not letting the sea discourage you! You are the master of the water and the denizens of the deep!

"You...are Ryoji Kajiki!"

Mermaid Knight can only gasp as Mako's eyes widen. He then places a hand on his forehead as everything comes back to him. Leaving Domino pier...sailing off to his next adventure…

The portal that somehow swallowed his ship whole.

Meanwhile, Sacred Spirit of the Ice Barrier stares Mermaid Knight down, blue eyes glowing white.

 _Spare me!_ Mermaid Knight begs. _I don't deserve this!_

 _You do, Dahut!_ Sacred Spirit of the Ice Barrier roars. _You cannot hide your presence from me. Your sins caused the fall of your kingdom, and you believe you deserve mercy?_

 _I...I…_

Masato points at Mermaid Knight. "Sacred Spirit of the Ice Barrier, send her to the afterlife!"

Sacred Spirit thrusts both arms out and a magic seal made of blue light and decorated with strange archaic symbols that spin round and round before a magic blast of ice magic strikes the mermaid and causes her to freeze over before she disintegrates into snowflakes.

 **(Masato: 700) - - - - - - - (Mako: 2300)**

Mako sways slightly as he lowers his hand. There is hesitation before a smile forms on his lips.

"You're right," he says. "That's...that's the reason I duel. To remember my father and how he is always by my side. I can't believe I could forget something like that."

"It's not your fault," says Millefeui. "Blame Wonderland for that."

"Whatever it was, I say we finish this duel," says Ryoji. "Masato, right?" (to which, Masato nods his head) "Whatever the outcome of this duel, I just want to say...thank you."

"No prob," says Masato. "Now I place two cards face-down...and I end my turn. Your move."

Ryoji draws his card and then immediately plays it. "Card of Sanctity, give me your fortune!"

Coins rain from the sky as Masato draws four new cards and Ryoji draws a new hand of six. As he fans out his cards, he picks the one in the middle.

"Time to bring us back to the beginning. Come forth, A Legendary Ocean!"

The shimmering palace emerges onto the field once more, as both Medium of the Ice Barrier and Sacred Spirit of the Ice Barrier feel power radiating through them (Medium of the Ice Barrier: LV: 7 -) 6, 2200/1600 -) 2400/1800, Sacred Spirit of the Ice Barrier: LV 4 -) 3, 1600/1200 -) 1800/1400)

"And now, I'll play the monster that will change everything. I summon The Legendary Fisherman II in Attack Mode!"

Another monster rise from the depths of the sea. Masato has to double-check as he sees the figure look similar to Mako (Ryoji) wielding a harpoon and riding a killer whale. (LV: 5 -) 4, 2200/1700 -) 2400/1900)

"Is this the monster that will change everything?" he asks.

"Not quite. The monster I wish to bring forth needs me to offer the Legendary Fisherman II when he's on the field.

"So now, I offer The Legendary Fisherman II to summon _The Legendary Fisherman III_!"

The Legendary Fisherman II glows as he becomes older and rugged, his dark blue hair now a red ochre hue, his clothes being the torn remains of a shirt and faded green pants, but he still wields his harpoon weapon and his whale partner is also older and bigger, its red eyes staring at Masato with curiosity. (LV: 7 -) 6, 2500/2000 -) 2700/2200)

"And this fisherman is immune to being destroyed in battle and all effects of your Spell and Trap cards," Ryoji boasts. "Plus, it's time for me to activate his special ability! Go my Legendary Fisherman, drag these monsters to a watery grave! Banish them from the field!"

The Legendary Fisherman smirks as a large tidal wave rises above Mako. Everyone in the audience braces themselves as the wave crashes down, dragging both of Masato's Ice Barrier monsters with it until Masato's field is empty of monsters.

But despite this, Masato smirks.

"It's a good thing I have an insurance policy," he says. "I play Mirror of the Ice Barrier!"

The Quick-play Spell Card appears, revealing an elegant hand mirror framed with the image of three dragon heads on serpentine necks sculpted from ice, their six eyes glowing yellow. Then, a similar looking mirror appears in Masato's hands.

"Now when my cards are Banished this turn, I can Banish up to two of your cards based on where my Banished Cards were at the time. Since your Legendary Fisherman Banished my monsters in the field, I can Banish up to two cards you control.

"So, seeing as your Legendary Fisherman is immune to my Mirror, I Banish your face-down card!"

Masato points the Mirror of the Ice Barrier, the mirror reflecting the card Mako controls, before it glows and Mako's face-down card vanishes from the field.

"Whatcha gonna do now?" Masato smirks.

Ryoji looks at his hand, then simply plays a card on face-down.

"That's all I can do," he says. "On the turn that Legendary Fisherman III uses that effect, I must skip my Battle Phase.

"Please, Masato. End the duel, and thank you for your help."

 _Don't thank me._ Masato thinks, drawing his card. He then turns to his sister, who smiles back at him. _Although having a mental link with your sister does have its own benefits sometimes._

"I activate my face-down card, Call of the Haunted!" Masato exclaims. "And with this, I bring back General Grunard of the Ice Barrier onto the field!"

Rising from a large pillar of ice is the form of General Grunard. Then, the ice cracks and the warrior bursts out, the shards of ice forming into six large icicles. (LV: 8 -) 7, 2800/1000 -) 3000/1200)

"And now that General Grunard is on the field once more, I can make an additional Normal Summon for an 'Ice Barrier' monster. So, I summon both my Shock Troops of the Ice Barrier and Secret Guards of the Ice Barrier in Attack Mode!"

The first monster is a monk wearing blue robes and a cyan cape. His head is covered with a matching cyan cowl and veil, and his weapon is a staff with a metal snowflake head. (LV: 3 -) 2, 1700/800 -) 1900/1000)

The second monster is a teenage boy with short white hair and matching eyes, wearing a shirt blue sleeveless top that exposes his navel and white pants with strips of cloth baring the Ice barrier symbol draped over them. Over his wrists and up to his elbow are long blue hand wraps. He wields two swords in his hands and wound around his neck is a long blue scarf. (LV: 2 -) 1, 100/1600 -) 300/1800)

"What are those going to do?" asks Ryoji, eyeing his face-down card (Mirror Force).

"Well, _they_ aren't going to do anything by themselves," says Masato, playing Demotion. "But, Secret Guards of the Ice Barrier is a Tuner Monster…."

General Grunard closes his eyes as his level drops (LV: 7 -) 5) before he opens them once more.

 _Come fellow warriors!_ He cries. _Let us unleash her! Our dragon goddess!_

 _Yes, sir!_ Shock Troops and Secret Guards of the Ice Barrier reply. Then, the three monsters fly into the sky, with Grunard transforming into a cluster of five stars, Shock Troops turning into a pair of two stars, and Secret Guards turns into a glowing ring of light that spins round and round as the stars line up and zip through the seal.

 **(*5 + *2 + *1 = *8)**

" _The sky blankets with ice, the storm brews and frost appears._ Masato chants. " _Winter rises; the world freezes over with your icy breath. Awaken from your slumber...Synchro Summon! Level 8! Rise, Rise,_ Rise, _Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"_

A large icy storm envelops the field as a gargantuan dragon sculpted from ice appears. Her upper body, three heads (two of them replacing what would be Trishula's arms) and wings are the color of silver, her lower body a darker blue color. Each head has a pair of yellow eyes and a yellow diamond in the center of their forehead. Trishula growls and beats her icy wings as frost appears on the ship. (LV: 9 -) 8, 2700/2000 -) 2900/2200)

"Wow…" Serena notes, seeing the strong Synchro Monster. "Overkill, much?

Masato chuckles, his eyes shining slightly. "And If you thought your Monster's effect is good, check this out. When Trishula is summoned, she gets to Banish a card from your hand, graveyard _and_ field! So let's see what Trishula wants to do."

Trishula roars its three heads and flaps her mighty wings once more. The Legendary Fisherman III is hit with a blow to the chest and vanishes, while a card from Ryoji's hand and one from his graveyard vanish as Ryoji just smiles.

"You may have figured out my Monster's weak point," He notes. "But my face-down card will make sure to care of your dragon."

"Really?" asks Masato. "Even if I play... Forbidden Dress?"

Ryoji gasps as he sees Masato play his Quick-play Spell Card, depicting the girl from Forbidden Chalice staring at a tunic in her hands as if contemplating on wearing it.

"Now by decreasing Trishula's attack by 600 this turn, she can't be targeted or destroyed by card effects!"

Trishula growls as a white aura surrounds her. (2900 -) 2300 ATK)

"And now, Trishula!" Masato commands. "Attack directly with Drei Ice Blizzard Blast!"

Trishula's three heads open their mouths and, after some charging time, unleash a trio of ice beams that strike Mako off his feet.

 **(Masato: 700) - - - - - - - (Mako: 0)**

"Get it, guys?" says Masato, turning to his audience. " _Drei_ is the German word for 'three' because Trishula has three heads, but it also sounds like 'dry', as in 'dry ice' because she's a Dragon of the _Ice_ Barrier and…" When no one laughs, Masato just sighs. "Never mind."

Meanwhile, Ryoji calmly collects his cards before turning around to see land approaching.

"We're almost to the other side!" he says. "Someone hoist the sails! Drop the anchor! Hurry!"

Everyone scrambles to do their jobs as best as they can - which is impossible as no one has any history of sailing across the sea - but they manage to do a decent job as the ship slowly reaches land with a stop.

"We did it!" Alice cheers. "We reached the other side!"

"Indeed," says Noah, slipping his hand into Alice's. "Now we should hurry; the Caucus Race is about to begin!"

Kanata and Millefeui prepare the gangplank, straining to carry the board until it touches the ground. Haruka hugs her brother in the meantime.

"You did great out there!" she says. "I'm proud of you!"

"That was so cool!" Masato exclaims. "I can't wait to see who else I'm fighting in Wonderland!"

 _Neither can I..._ Noah thinks to himself as he and Alice walk down the gangplank. He then turns to the others. "Hurry up now! Time is money here!"

"Coming," says Kanata, taking her sister's hand. "Come on, last one to the Caucus Race eats three pieces of _umeboshi_ when we get back!"

"No fair!" Millefeui shouts. "You know I hate that stuff!"

Haruka and Masato also follow the sisters down the gangplank as Serena looks at Alice, her heart breaking at the site of her close friend not knowing who he truly is, and her mind determined to save him. She then walks down the gangplank, and when she finally reaches the ground, she looks at the cards in her deck before slipping them into the deck holder once more. Just as she takes a step forward...

"Wait."

Serena stops and turns around, seeing Ryoji staring back at her.

"What is it?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Be careful," Ryoji simply states. "There are more sinister things here than there are in the depths of the ocean."

"We'll keep that in mind," says Serena, nodding her head. "What about you? Will you go back to the real world?"

"Not yet. I remembered that I have a mission here, and I saw that more people will need my services."

"As in you ferrying souls into the afterlife via the Sanzu River?"

"...Yes."

And just for a moment Serena thinks she sees Ryoji's eyes darken and his smile resembles a shark. But it's just for a moment, because Serena turns her gaze away for a second when Millefeui calls out to her. And when she turns around…

Ryoji and his ship have vanished.

"Weird…" Serena whispers to herself as she hurries to catch up with her friends, sending a text as she walks.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Shooti hears a familiar buzz and looks at his cellphone. He smiles when he sees Ghostrick Mary grin at him. "Mission complete. Ryoji Kajiki remembers everything."

"Not bad for a kid like Masato to stand up against a pro," says Hikari, finishing her tuna melt. She hands the plate of red colored pancakes to Bel. "Want one?"

"No thanks, I just ate," says Bel with a shake of her head. Being a Dark Signer means that food and drink are unnecessary (although she partakes in it every now and then just for the taste). "Well, it looks like our job is done. Thank you for your time and…"

"Hold on a second," Hikari interrupts. "This entire thing has been making waves of suspicious activity for some time; enough for me to want to warrant enough content for my _Dawn of the Duel_ blog for a few months. And there is no way I am letting Serena have all the fun."

"This isn't fun!" Shooti exclaims. "People are in serious danger if this doesn't go unchecked."

"I know that!" Hikari snaps. "And I have been doing research into this matter myself - research that you can use to help Serena and the others get to the bottom of this mystery. In fact…" she smirks. "I can give it all to you, no questions asked. But only after you fulfill two conditions.

"First off, you bring Shinji and I along for your excursions across Domino tonight. After all, if there's someone causing students to fall into comas, you'll have safety in numbers."

Neither Shooti nor Bel can disagree with that, even if they are fully capable of defending themselves due to their undead status. Plus it will make their job easier if there is more people combing the city.

"Fine," says Shooti, folding his arms across his chest. "What's number two?"

"The second request is that, if you know it, you need to tell Shinji what happened to his brother." Hikari raises an eyebrow. "Those are easy for someone like a reporter from _Chasing Shadows_ , right?"

There is more uncomfortable silence as Shooti is about to speak, but Bel places a hand over his mouth and nods her head.

"Great!" Hikari beams as she throws the blanket off of her and hops out of the couch. "Give me five minutes to get dressed and have my Duel Disk ready, ok?"

Hikari leaps toward her bedroom and closes the door behind her. Shinji sighs and heads to his bedroom - identified by a sign on a door that has his name on it - closes the door and emerges thirty seconds later with his Duel Disk and cellphone in hand. The three slip on their shoes and wait for Hikari, which Shooti uses to send another text message.

Minutes later, Hikari appears, trading her pajamas for a white shirt decorated with pink stars, pink leggings and a black jacket. Strapped to her shoulder is a dark brown satchel while her Duel Disk is now strapped onto her left arm, decorated with a blue, glittery eighth note and the tray shimmering with lines from a music staff. She hops off to the shoe rack and slips on a pair of white sneakers before pointing her video camera at Shooti and Bel.

"Now then," she says. "Shall we begin?"

Shooti and Bel look at each other before nodding their heads. Then, Bel closes her eyes.

"We'll kill two birds with one stone," she answers as she removes her glasses. Then, a glowing purple hummingbird mark materializes on her right arm before she opens her eyes and adds, "Don't blink."

Hikari and Shinji gasp at Bel's black eyes before she extends her arm forward and a gust of wind begins to blow inside the living room. Hikari latches onto Shinji as the violet haired boy steps forward.

"What's going on!" Shinji gasps out. "What is…"

His last words are drowned out by a dark gale of wind that surrounds the four before it vanishes, taking the kids with it.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Masato: Well, it seems like we aren't the only ones here on a mission.**

 **Serena: But we're on our own here in Wonderland when it comes to freeing everyone here. So, who's next?**

 **Kanata: Hey, Haruka? What's up?**

 **Haruka: I am seeing things, aren't I? How is this possible? Am I** _ **dreaming**_ **?**

 **Millefeui: What is it? No, who is it?**

 **Haruka: No, don't say it or else I won't believe it. This** _ **has**_ **to be a dream now!**

 **Kanata: This won't end well. Next time, 6th Dream - "Sideways".**

 **Serena: Now it looks like business has picked up, don't you agree?**


	7. Sideways

_Note: This duel is going to be different from previous ones as this will be one of a few Turbo Duels planned for the story._

 _For these particular duels, I will be using the rules from ARC-V, meaning there is no need for Speed World or any Spell Cards associated with it. The first reason for this is that it will make the following duel_ extremely _difficult to write due to the archetype that one of the duelists uses._

 _The second is that, logically, our heroes don't participate in Turbo Duels (and are too young to ride a D-Wheel, let alone have a license for them) so they would be unprepared for such a task._

 _Thus, I will have to make a few changes to get this duel to work. Please forgive me if I am breaking already established rules for this sort of thing._

 _And with that disclaimer out of the way, let's rev it up!_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _ **While I'm annoyed at how my brother is in a musical mood, he is right on how this place has an "Over the Garden Wall" feel to it.**_

 _ **The fact that there are quirky characters in the Unknown and Wonderland, how we are trying to find our way home, the life long lessons placed on the children to not run away from trouble, the possibility of a sinister beast on the loose...there is magic just waiting to be unleashed.**_

 _ **At the same time, we have to be on our toes. To expect the unexpected, to not fear the unknown, but also not let our guard down. That's what Mom always says.**_

 _ **Of course, I wasn't expecting the next person that was apparently trapped in Dreamland with us, and now just have one question…**_

 _ **Would he mind if I decided to take a photo with him?**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **6th Dream**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Sideways**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

The trip to Domino Below, or "Satellite" as it's officially called by politicians and Security personnel, usually takes about thirty minutes without traffic. For Jun and Reiji, it takes them only ten minutes thanks to Reiji teleporting them there using his energy reserves to summon a Condor glyph that instantly transports them to a place that Reiji has been before.

Reiji himself tries to avoid Domino Below as it brings nothing but bad memories. How he was once a foolish boy believing that he could take on the world, and how his ego clouded his judgment and transformed him into an Acolyte. Still, if he and Jun are going to get to the bottom of this mission, he has no choice but to come back, if only for a little while.

Domino Below is well known for its night scene, where people relax at the various bars, restaurants, nightclubs, karaoke houses and other enterprises that focus on having people eat, drink, and be merry. Despite the disaster dubbed "Zero Reverse", the citizens who live there have managed to weather the storm and rebuild their lives from the ground up.

It also helps that Zero Reverse has opened up a gateway for supernatural entities to enter the emptied lands of Domino Below. Many of them have grown curious of humanity and have decided to set up shop and sell goods that no human has ever tasted before.

From a variety of breads that can only be found in one's secret dreams, to cocktails mixed with flavors that can make normal alcohol taste bitter, those with an eye for the supernatural or the curiosity for something new will seek these places out. Of course, for treats out of this world, payment is needed.

Fortunately, these beings will accept mortal money...for the most part.

Reiji and Jun are not in the mood for food or drink, but instead stop by what Domino Below residents call the "Sphinx Shop", due to the sphinx statue marking what is a place that houses knowledge of various artifacts. Reiji doesn't even take the time to knock as he pushes the door open.

"Callista!" he shouts as Jun looks around. The shop is filled to the brim with antiques and dusty knick-knacks, the walls are painted with various symbols like hieroglyphs, cuneiforms and markings from Inca mythology (Jun looks in awe at the replicas of the Nazca lines, particularly the one for the monkey) and there is a shelf filled with archeology books and black and white photos of Egypt, Greece, Rome and other famous cities that once housed some of the grandest civilizations known to man. "Callista, are you in here?"

"Coming! Give me a sec!"

A young girl in a white blouse and blue dress rushes to the cashier from the back. Her maroon hair is pulled into long pigtails by a pair of yellow hair baubles and in her hands is a book on archaeology. Her green eyes sparkle in delight when she sees Reiji.

"Reiji!" she exclaims. "It's great to see you again!"

Reiji smiles back and pats her head. "And how's Yanagi doing?"

Callista sets her book on the counter and steps up on the stool. "He's off on a grocery run so we can have some delicious _shabu-shabu_ when he comes back. What's going on? Anything strange happening since Kamitsure-san asked about that Sphinx's Heart?"

"You know this kid, Reiji?" asks Jun, staring at the girl. Callista just smiles back, unafraid of Jun and his obsidian eyes. Jun raises an eyebrow. "Aren't you a little young to be running a shop like this?"

"Yes! Yes I am," Callista giggles. "Oh wait, you don't know about my 'special ability', do you?"

"Show it some other time," says Reiji, placing his hands on the counter. "Now Callista, have you had any strange…'clients' enter your shop recently?"

"You have to be more specific," Callista answers slowly. "You know that our shop is the only one in Domino Below that deals with artifacts that spilled out from Zero Reverse, and you know how deadly it can be for those who recklessly use these artifacts without heeding the warnings."

"That's only for those who are unable to pay the price. Were any of your customers part of...Team Satisfaction?"

At this, Callista pauses. "Um...wh...what do you mean by that?"

Reiji sighs. "Kamitsure told us that Team Satisfaction went to investigate Wonderland some time ago, but they haven't returned. We both know that to enter Wonderland, or any type of world outside of our own, that means traversing through the Nightmare Realm and that is practically impossible without the right equipment.

"And since we can't use the Momentum generators, the only ways that can be entered is if someone has vasts amounts of magic or there was an artifact that can easily let someone enter the Nightmare Realm. Even with their abilities and memories, Team Satisfaction doesn't have the means to pierce a hole into the Nightmare Realm, and finding a portal to it is like finding a Golden Ticket. I have reasons to believe that they would've asked you for an artifact that, if it can't physically take them into the Nightmare Realm, they could enter it after going through some sort of trance. Tell me if I'm saying anything wrong about that."

Callista bites her lip as she looks at the book in her hands. Then, she sighs.

"You're right about that," she says. "They came here a while ago to request for an artifact for that sort of thing. Here, this is what it looked like."

Opening the book halfway before flipping two or three more pages forward, Callista turns the book around and points to an image of an artifact that looked like a rabbit statue on a stone circle carved with hieroglyphics.

"Of course…" Jun notes with a roll of his eyes. "Rabbits...Wonderland…"

"The artifact is the Seal of Wenet," Callista explains. "Wenet was the Hare Goddess of Ancient Egypt, known for being a messenger for Thoth, God of Wisdom, and it's said that she helped guide souls to the Underworld as well. This seal will allow one to request Wenet to guide them towards the Nightmare Realm, but it only works on souls who have been 'touched' with the essence of the Underworld.

"However, there is a bit of a drawback. A soul who enters this way could easily forget themselves when they enter the Nightmare Realm. Using Wenet as a guide is to help a person experience other worlds, but this is balanced out with her storing their memories of their _purpose_ to enter the various worlds until someone manages to make them remember something about their past."

"Ah," says Reiji, looking absolutely unfazed. "So, what if we want to contact Wenet while she's already making others follow her down the rabbit hole?"

"You have to give a priceless offering that one cannot easily find or make," Callista answers, looking at her book. "Then Wenet will arrive and you can ask your questions. But you cannot ask her to take you to the Nightmare Realm while she already has clients; only when her clients have fulfilled their missions will she take on new souls."

"And how much did Team Satisfaction pay to get this specific artifact?"

Callista blushes. "They offered grandpa and me to a free round of meals for a month, and gave me the cards needed to perfect grandpa's old deck."

"Ah, that old trick," says Jun, clapping his hands. "Well, I think we have everything we need from this place. We should get going and figure out where in La La Land these four went to."

Reiji pulls out something from the sleeve of his cloak and places it on the counter. "Keep the change." He then storms towards the front door. "We'll contact you for any-"

He stops when the door suddenly opens and standing right there is the last person he ever expected. The person blinks when they see Reiji looking back at them, flabbergasted.

The person staring at Reiji is his little brother.

"Reiji," Shinji whispers in a combination of disbelief and hope at seeing his brother in front of him. "You're... you're here…"

Reiji looks up and sees three other faces. Shooti and Bel look guilty, and Hikari has a hand covering her mouth. Shinji, in the meantime, looks like he is about to cry, his body trembling out of fear or possibly relief.

"What's going-" Jun pauses when he sees Shinji. "Oh no...not now…"

"Not now?" Hikari repeats. "Jun, what's…" she gasps. "Jun...your eyes! Reiji _, your_ eyes! They're just like…"

Jun notices how Bel and Shooti are displaying their black eyes as Shinji looks to see how Reiji's eyes are black as the night itself. Reiji stares into his brother's tear-filled eyes before he sighs and shakes his head.

"R...Reiji…" Shinji whimpers. "You're alive, aren't you?"

Reiji grits his teeth then smiles sadly as he raises a hand and places it on top of his brother's head. Shinji shrinks from the touch as his brother shakes his head.

"No…" Reiji answers as a tear falls down his eye. "Shinji...I'm...I'm dead."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Come on everyone!" Noah shouts, racing through the forest. "We musn't dilly-dally! The Caucus Race is coming up ahead!"

With Alice's hand in his, Noah leads the group deeper and deeper into the woods. Serena chases after them - wishing that she could just use her roller skates to catch up to them but the dirt road makes it hard to do so - all while Masato sings another song from behind.

" _The way is clear_

 _The light is good_

 _I have no fear_

 _Although I should_

" _The woods are just trees_

 _The trees are just wood-"_

"Masato, if you sing one more song, I will burn your CD collection when we get back home!" Haruka shouts. "Oh, if only I had my skateboard on me. But _no_ , I decided to leave her back at home and use the subway to get to that Magic Shop."

"I highly doubt that skateboards would be appropriate for a story set in 19th century England anyhow," Kanata notes. "And besides, we get to have lots of exercise! Come on, who gets to run around in _Wonderland_ of all places?"

The seven children continue to run before they eventually reach a clearing. There, a loud roar reaches their ears and the cheers of other children immediately come after that. Noah pants for breath as he turns to everyone else with a wide grin on his face.

"We're just in time!" he says. "The Caucus Race is just about to begin."

Everyone looks in awe. This "Caucus Race" looks more like a racetrack than a simple romp across a field. There are children and strange creatures like elves, fairies and pixies sitting in circles while they watch someone on a black motorcycle race around the track again and again and again non-stop. There's even a Freya, Spirit of Victory jumping in joy and cheering for the lone biker on the racetrack.

"This is a Caucus Race?" Alice inquires, placing her hands over her ears. "It's so….loud!"

"This is amazing!" Haruka exclaims. "Caucus Races are Riding Duels here! Ooh, I wonder who's out there at the race track. Come on, let's take a closer look!"

"Wait, Haruka!" Kanata exclaims. "Maybe we should slow DOWN!"

Haruka grabs the purple-haired girl's hand and races past the picnic-goers while everyone else chases after her. Alice turns to Masato.

"Your sister is into these loud noisy things?" she exclaims.

Masato sighs as he sees his sister jump like a jackrabbit. "Ever since she fell in love with these collection of duelists in Domino Below, she's been so ecstatic about Riding Duels and everything. In fact, just a few months ago she obtained a vest that was worn by these very same…"

"AHHHH!"

Masato blinks as he sees his sister screaming at the top of her lungs. In particular, she is screaming at the person who has just gotten off of the black D-Wheel, removing their matching black plumed helmet to reveal a person in their late teens with red spiky hair like fire, fierce grey eyes and strange yellow markings on their face, particularly the large 'M' on their forehead. They wear a yellow shirt with a tan vest on top of it, a pair of blue jeans and a blue-green strip of cloth underneath their hair with two silver rings pierced on the right.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh…" Haruka pants as the rider of the D-Wheel has noticed his audience. "It...it can't be...oh my gosh…"

The person blinks and approaches Haruka and Kanata, tilting his head in confusion. "Um, can I help you?"

"Of...of course!" Haruka answers, bringing her hand out. "I'm Haruka Sakurada, and this is my friend Kanata Sakamoto. Before I start going crazy...can I ask what your name is?"

The man hesitates before he takes the hand and shakes it. "The name's Crow. Crow Hogan."

Haruka blinks as she pulls her hand away, staring at it as if a strange mark appeared on her palm. "You... your name is Crow?"

"Yep!" Crow grins.

Haruka looks up. "Crow _Hogan_?"

"Mm-hmm."

Haruka's mouth drops as she places her hands on her cheeks. "As in…Crow Hogan of _Team Satisfaction_?!"

"Eeyup."

And this is the part where Haruka screams to the heavens. She jumps up and down, the satchel strapped to her side, decorated with the image of two wolves howling at the moon bouncing alongside her as she hugs Kanata.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my _gosh_!" she squeals. "Out of all the people to find in Wonderland, it's a member of Team Satisfaction! This...this is a dream, this has to be a dream! Oh, Kanata, please punch me in the..."

Kanata's hand swiftly meets Haruka's face, causing the hyperactive girl to wince and rub where Kanata punched her. At this time, the other five children have just arrived as Haruka's body trembles with excitement.

"Oh no," says Serena, covering her ears with her hands. Millefeui and Masato follow suit. "This could get ugly."

"Why's that?" asks Noah. "Surely, she hasn't seen a Riding Duel bef-"

Haruka lets out another loud squeal of excitement while everyone around them, including Crow, winces.

"This is real! This is really real!" Haruka shouts, reaching in her satchel for something. "Oh, I have to get a picture! This is gonna be an awesome pic for the Team Satisfaction Fan Club! They're gonna be so so _so_ jealous of this. I mean, they already are kinda jealous because I got a special vest from them but…"

"Just one question though," Crow interrupts, just as Haruka looks like she's about to have a heart attack. "Who's Team Satisfaction?"

Haruka pauses, her body freezing up as if she is a deer caught in the headlights.

"Wait, you don't know?" she shouts. "H...how can you _not_ know? You...and Yusei...and Kiryu and Jack (your _boyfriend,_ might I add)...you four are The Enforcers of Satellite and owners of the coolest bar in Domino Below, Satisfaction Town!" She tugs on the vest she is wearing. "Yusei sent me this vest for my birthday, I go to your bar once a month for Duel Night, and Kanata and her sister went and got your autograph and everything! You don't remember any of that?"

Crow looks up and rubs his chin in thought. Then, seconds later, he shakes his head.

"...Nope. Those names don't ring any bells." he answers.

"This...this can't be possible…" Haruka mutters, feeling everything spin. "How…how is...I...I..."

And seconds later, Haruka faints in Kanata's arms.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Shinji looks at Reiji, his eyes staring back at his older brother's blackened eyes as someone approaches the front of the Sphinx Shop, whistling all the way.

"Callista!" says the jovial voice of that someone, Tenzen Yanagi. "Get that cooker ready; we're gonna have some…"

Yanagi pauses when he sees everyone's attention is locked on Shinji and Reiji staring at each other. It is a staring contest, the first one to blink losing the game. Yanagi looks back and forth at the brothers, the four member audience, and his granddaughter hiding behind the cashier. Taking the hint, Yanagi walks into the shop and heads straight toward the back as Shinji speaks up.

"T... that's insane," he says. "You can't be dead...unless this is all just a dream. Right?"

Reiji shakes his head. "No. This is all real, little brother. I'm here, but I'm not alive."

Shinji shakes his head in denial. "No...you can't be dead...I mean, you look like my brother, but how do I know you are?"

Reiji closes his eyes, folds his arms over his chest and hums. Then, he opens his eyes.

"Give me three questions that only the real Reiji would know," he answers. "If I answer all of them correctly, then you'll have no choice but to accept that I'm the real deal."

"Okay…" Shinji takes a deep breath. Hikari takes a look at Bel and Shooti, particularly at Shooti, looking guilty while Jun is impatiently tapping his foot.

"We don't have time for tests, Reiji," he says. "We've got stuff to…"

"First question," Shinji begins. "What was my favorite lunch that you cooked and why did I love it so much?"

Reiji quickly answers, "It was _oyakodon_ topped with mayonnaise and spicy tuna mayo onigiri. I always kept telling you that I would take the recipe of my homemade mayo to the grave." He chuckles bitterly as he rubs his neck. "I just never thought it would come so soon."

"Alright, so you got that question down," says Shinji. "What about this one? What was my favorite video game to play?"

Reiji closes his eyes and rubs his chin in thought. After 30 seconds of silence, he answers, " _Shadow of the Colossus_ , because you enjoyed playing it with me, trying to explore the vast land and figuring out how to kill each and every Colossus. In fact, I recall you wanting to kill Gaius all by yourself once you figure out the solution."

"Oh, that old game," says Jun. "Tried getting into it, but having my ass kicked over and over again and having to climb up those behemoths just to get them down for the count made me quit the game halfway in."

"...Last question," says Shinji. "Now, only the _real_ Reiji would know the answer to this one. What is my most precious Duel Monsters card?"

Reiji bites his lip as he paces around the antique shop. As he does, Hikari inches towards Shinji.

"Your precious card?" she whispers. "Shinji, you know your brother hasn't seen you duel before. Hell, I don't think he even knows what type of deck you're currently using."

"I do," Reiji answers, not even looking at Hikari as he says this. "And…" A bitter smile appears on his face as a tear falls down the corner of his eye. "I know what card my brother is talking about."

He turns around and pulls out a card hidden in his sleeve (it wasn't; he just summoned it from a subspace he learned to create when he first became a Dark Signer Acolyte). Everyone looks in alarm; it is a Normal Monster depicting an adorable white rabbit.

"Bunilla," says Reiji. "Because it was the card you found when we traveled to Usagijima on your birthday, and you kept it as a souvenir for when we decided to travel there again. You gave it to me as a good luck charm on the night I was supposed to duel Seto Kaiba, and it was on me when I died and ended up revived into...this state."

Nervously, Shinji takes the card from his brother's hand and looks at it. He clenches his teeth as tears fall down.

"You...you really are…" he says, nearly dropping the card to the floor. Instead, he quietly pockets it into a pouch on his vest.

"Yes, Shinji," says Reiji, quietly walking two steps towards his brother. He embraces Shinji, and smiles. "It's really me, Rei…"

Shinji roughly shoves Reiji aside, his face twisted in rage as Hikari gasps.

"Shinji!" she exclaims. "This is your brother...why would…"

"You were gone for an entire year and you turn up right _now_?!" Shinji screams. "The minute you found out that you could walk and talk again, you could've gone to see me...but you didn't!"

"Shinji," Reiji begins. "Listen to me-"

"I searched for you for an entire year," Shinji continues. "I asked Seto Kaiba himself about the so called 'challenge' and he said that he never challenged you at all! I kept waiting at our old apartment for weeks, waiting for when you would come back home. I lost sleep, my grades slipped, and yet you didn't bother to call, sent no letters, email me...hell, I just wanted to see your face so I knew that you were out there!

"And here I find you prancing about with the likes of Bel, Jun and Shooti, dressed up like you're in some sort of cult-"

"We aren't part of a cult," Jun interrupts, but Shinji's stony glare cuts him off.

"And you spend your time with them instead of your own _brother_?" Shinji screams, repeatedly pounding a fist on his brother's chest, clenching his teeth as he asks, "Why Reiji? Was I not good enough? Was I such a burden on you?" He drops to his knees as more tears fall. "Did you just…hate me because of how I caused mom and dad to…"

"No!" Reiji also drops to his knees and strokes his brother's back. "Shinji, I never blamed you for that. Mom and Dad's deaths were never your fault. Things just...I couldn't just tell you that I foolishly got myself into a situation with the man known as the Duel Crusher without knowing whether or not he was going after you next.

"Shinji, I spent a lot of my time debating on whether or not I should approach you, but it always ended with me afraid of how I was going to explain about my new state of affairs. What was I gonna say?"

"That even though you lost, you were alive and well and that things would be all right?" Shinji suggests in a bitter tone.

"...that was probably a good choice," Reiji admits, sheepishly.

Shinji wipes the tears from his eyes as Shooti hears the tone for text messaging on his phone (which is the Ballad of the Wind Fish from _The_ _Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening_ ) and pulls it out, seeing Ghostrick Mary in a panic as she finishes writing her message. He grimaces.

"Oh, _that's_ perfect," he says.

"What's up?" asks Hikari, staring at Shooti's phone, as Ghostrick Mary has vanished once again. She blinks. "Hey…. isn't that…"

Reiji immediately stands up and marches towards Shooti before taking the phone into his hand. He frowns before turning to Calista and Yanagi at the back, the two innocently preparing dinner and pretending to not hear the conversation going on.

"We're going now," he states. "Thanks for the info."

"Reiji, what's…" Shinji gasps as he sees his brother's back glowing, the outline a large purple bird manifesting before he, Hikari and the four teens with dark eyes are encased in a portal of shadows and vanish from the shop...

And teleport about a block away from Team Satisfaction's apartment, a glowing glyph of a large bird of prey shining in the middle of Reiji's portal. Shinji and Hikari look around as Shooti takes his phone out of Reiji's hands.

"We better get going," says Shooti. "We need a status check on those four right now."

"Hang on a second!" Hikari exclaims. "How the heck does someone like Crow Hogan enter Wonderland? From what was said online, most of the victims came from DCIS."

"'Most' victims, not 'all' victims," Jun clarifies. "These four...well, they decided to enter Wonderland and figure out why our fellow DCIS students were going down the rabbit hole."

"More like they were commanded by their beloved 'Dark King' to investigate and harvest souls," Shooti mutters under his breath.

"Wait, so they work for you?" asks Shinji, looking at Bel. From what he has heard from Hikari, Bel is a talented member in the Drama Club, skilled at monologues and improv. She sometimes has a tendency to splash people in water when they least expect it, and her deck, in the few times she has dueled, is a Fortune Lady deck with a mix of Xyz and Synchro monsters that make her so unpredictable that she probably can catch Haruka off guard if Bel put her attention on it.

"Sort of," Bel answers. "They share some of our powers, but they're more like elite guards. Or, as they're better known as, Enforcers." She turns and narrows her eyes. "Come on, we need to get to their apartment and search for clues."

She races off like a bullet with Shooti following her. Jun grabs onto Hikari and hollers in delight as they run while Reiji takes Shinji's hand, Shinji blushing slightly before they race through the dirty streets of Domino Below.

Thirty seconds later, the six have made it to the simple apartment where Team Satisfaction resides when they aren't called upon but the Dark Signers or are working at Satisfaction Town. It is quiet and empty, and the Dark Signers know that the apartment has been locked for the past week or so, with a notice taped on the door stating that rent was due a few days ago.

"I don't get it," says Hikari, trying to regain her footing. "Why exactly would a bunch of pretty boy duelists be related to you guys?"

"Long, long, _long_ story," Shooti answers. "But let's just say that my fate was interconnected to theirs."

"We can't just start breaking and entering their apartment!" Shinji exclaims. "What if Security catches us?"

"Security has more important issues to worry about than some uninvited guests," says Reiji, hand upon the door. "Now, let's see here…"

His eyes begin to illuminate with a violet sheen, along with the violet bird mark on his back. A large black ring of magic manifests before the bird made of violet flames engulfs the seal with a burst of light. Then, the bird absorbs itself into Reiji's body, the teen clutching his chest in pain slightly before the door suddenly opens with a silent whoosh.

"Come on," says Reiji, turning to the group. "Let's figure out where they kept their notes. The sooner we do that, the sooner we leave this hell hole."

Shinji can see the hatred burning in his brother's eyes, but it is swift as Reiji enters the apartment. It's dark, but Shooti turning the lights on makes everyone see what's inside.

The living room has various video game cases spilled on the floor, and the television has a PS3 hooked up to it. When Jun sees the couch - covered with a blanket and some pillows - he notices a particular game cover and picks it up. He snickers when he sees the title.

"Oh, that's rich!" he cackles, tossing the case to Shooti, who catches it just in time. "Shooti, looks like you aren't the only one who knows that _Life is Strange_!" He chortles as he starts investigating the other video games strewn about. "Oh man, I bet my entire collection of amiibo figurines that it's _Jack Atlas_ who hella loves this game!"

Shooti blushes as he sees the case in his hands. He has memories of the time he spent on this particular episodic game series, bawling his eyes out when he decided to sacrifice Chloe in the final episode. In fact, during his first few days as an Acolyte, he kept replaying the entire series three times straight without stop, investigating the numerous paths he could take while trying to ignore that his foolishness brought him to his own undoing. Bel just pats his shoulder reassuringly.

"Cut it out!" Reiji snaps, searching through the dining room (which has a table set for four, one seat at the table having a used coffee mug stained brown at the bottom). "We need to find their Ritual Room. That's most likely where they'll be resting."

"Ritual Room?" Hikari repeats. "You sound like they're part of a religious sect or something! Haruka is gonna flip when she learns about this!"

"Assuming that she hasn't at this point?" asks Shooti, looking at the message on his phone left by Ghostrick Mary ( _-Crow Hogan is in Wonderland! How is this possible?-_ ). He wrinkles his nose in disgust.

Bel scans the hallway and glances at a strange sigil on the second door to the right. "Bingo," she mutters.

She lifts her arm to the sigil, her purple hummingbird mark shining bright before the sigil glows in response and the door slides open. Everyone else approaches her as Bel nods her head.

"Tread carefully," she says. "I sense powerful magic at work."

"I sense a strange smell of...ugh," says Hikari, pinching her nose. "What do they do in this place?"

"I have a pretty good idea…" Shooti mutters, squinting in the dark. "And it's one that involves shining a blacklight across the floor."

"Blacklight?" Hikari repeats. "Why would…" Then, her face turns bright red at the implications. "UGH! Didn't need to know that, Shooti!"

"How exactly would you know about their sex life?" Shinji inquires, noticing the look of utter disgust on Shooti's face.

"I've had first hand experience as to what these guys do underneath the covers, that's why," Shooti answers. "Okay, we need a light over…"

Bel raises her arm and suddenly, unlit torches ignite with orange flames. Shooti nods his head as thanks while everyone takes a look around. It doesn't seem like an apartment room at all; the walls are carved with hieroglyphics depicting the four members of Team Satisfaction and strange Nazca lines surrounding them. On the opposite side of the room is an obsidian statue of a man with a piercing gaze that causes Hikari and Shinji to shiver. Just as Hikari looks down from the statue, she gasps.

"W...what the…" she stammers out. "What are _those_?"

She points to four box-like objects in the center of the room. Shinji follows that finger and his eyes widen at what he sees.

These box-like objects are stone graves, each of them with the slab slightly open and marked with a different Nazca line pattern (lizard, giant, whale and spider). Shinji swallows a lump in his throat as he makes his way to the stone grave with the lizard slab and jumps back in alarm.

Inside the grave...is a man.

He rests in the coffin, arms crossed over his chest, the only article of clothing on him is some strange linen skirt. He has gold bangles on his wrists, his eyes are lined with black eyeliner, his bare neck and shoulders are draped with an usekh collar with gold, blue and red beads, and painted on his right arm with henna is a symbol of a lizard. Covering his face is a mask in the likeness of a hare covering all but the person's mouth.

"W...who's in there, Shinji?" Hikari whimpers. Aside from sentient houses, she can't stand corpses or mummies of any kind (even those from the bogs, as well preserved as they are).

Shinji gulps as he reaches toward the mask, expecting a hand to grab onto it and the person to rise up from the coffin. Instead, he grasps onto the mask and, with a swallow, he lifts it up. When the mask is finally pulled off, he gasps and drops the mask onto the floor with a loud thud that echoes within the empty chamber.

The person in the coffin is Crow Hogan, eyes shut as if he is asleep.

Without thinking, Shinji starts peering into the other graves and removes the hare masks off of their faces, Hikari close behind him: the Spider has Yusei Fudo, the Giant contains Kiryu Kyosuke and the Killer Whale is where Jack Atlas rests, each having the respective image on the sarcophagus lid tattooed onto their right arms, each of them wearing that Egyptian skirt, each of them wearing golden bangles and usekh collars and all of them with their eyes lined with black and closed as if asleep or...

Hikari opens her mouth in an attempt to scream, but nothing comes out except some squeaks. Instead, she finds herself dropping to her knees in terror and placing a hand to her mouth. Shooti approaches the coffin containing Kiryu Kyosuke, peers into it, and frowns.

"...Well," he says, pulling out his teal digicam. "Guess they went all out for this sort of thing."

"What are you saying, Shooti?!" Hikari exclaims, watching Shooti calmly take a photo of Crow (with the camera going _ch'csh_ and the flash going off). "T...they're...they can't be...This can't be the same Team Satisfaction that Haruka fangirls over. W...we need to call Security about this. Team Satisfaction is…"

"Dead?" Bel finishes. Hikari can only nod her head. "That's correct; they've been dead for a few months now, but they became reborn as the Enforces of Hamunaptra, the elite guards to the Dark King of the After-"

Hikari throwing a water bottle from her satchel towards the Dark Signer causes her to stop. Shooti catching the water bottle prevents Bel from being hit. The green-haired boy glares at Hikari before he crushes the water bottle in his hand, cracks forming from his grip before plastic shards and water drip onto the floor. He pays no attention to the cuts on his hand as he tosses the broken bottle onto the ground with a clunk.

"You're nuts…" Hikari whispers. "You are absolutely _crazy_! Are you saying that four of the most prominent duelists in Domino Below are part of some sort of...some sort of _cult_?!"

"The Dark Signers are not a cult!" Jun exclaims, grasping Hikari's arm. "Take that back!"

"Yeah, Jun is a little sensitive about that word," says Shooti, seeing Jun tighten his grip. "Best not say that around him."

"Stay away from her!" Shinji snarls, pushing Jun away. "What's going on? Why are Team Satisfaction like this? How...how are they...why are they…"

He can barely get the words out as he points towards the stone coffin that contains Yusei Fudo.

"Explain," Shinji demands. "What is _going_ _on here_?!"

Shooti just lets out a long, long sigh as he walks towards each of the other Team Satisfaction members, taking the photos of them in their death-like sleep - _ch'csh, ch'csh, ch'csh_ \- before he walks to the center of the room and looks at the altar that holds the Seal of Wenet, that strange stone circle with the rabbit figurine in the middle.

"Do you want to know the story of them back when they lived in Egypt or would you rather want the story as to how they died and became these brainwashed loyalists?" he begins. "If you choose the latter, you'll also get a bonus of learning how I died too."

"Wait, what do you mean 'you died'?" asks Hikari. "You said you survived that fall from the school rooftop. How is that possible?"

"...I was dead when I hit the ground and spent the next few days at the hospital going through the sequence of events that caused me to accept the deal that would resurrect me." Shooti answers bitterly, recalling the night he was forced to jump off the school building with 53 other students.

"And who would want to bring you back from the dead?" asks Hikari, feeling like her mind is spinning like a plate topped on a stick.

"I would," says Bel, showing off the hummingbird mark on her arm. When it glows, the grey trim on Shoot's cloak glows into a brilliant shade of orange. "I brought him back to life as my Acolyte; he shall be my successor when the Dark King decides that I have fulfilled my duties."

"Like hell I'll let that happen!" Shooti snarls, staring at his digicam. "If that day comes, I swear I will burst through the Gates of Hamunaptra and demand the Dark King resurrects Bel to be my side. No one will take her away from me. _No one_."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" says Hikari, hands on her head. "This is just way too much information about cults, darkness, death and...I don't know! Can someone start from a beginning and _stay there_?!"

There is an awkward silence as everyone turns to Shooti, who looks through his photos before he realizes that he is being watched. He just looks at them and sighs.

"Fine, fine," he says. He clears his throat before he begins. "Let's start with how I got involved with Team Satisfaction then. It all began when Carly and I got the message of a fight between Kaibaman and Kiryu Kyosuke in Satisfaction Town last September... "

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Something is poking Haruka.

The girl groans as she turns to her side, but still said something keeps poking her. Then, the poking is joined by three others, one at her cheek, her arm and her stomach. Then she feels someone poking her forehead.

"Wake up! Wake up! Don't sleep now!" says a voice.

Haruka groans before someone places a cookie in front of her face, waving it back and forth like it is a jar of smelling salts. She takes a sniff of it before she wakes up, seeing four faces with button eyes and stitched smiles stare back at her.

"You guys!" Haruka hisses, taking these strange cloth dolls into her arms, each of them dressed up like a member of Team Satisfaction. "W...what are you doing here? Where are we?"

"You fainted and we were trying to wake you up!" Cloth Yusei explains. "We're in a workshop for D-Wheels!"

"Workshop? I thought this was…" Haruka pauses as she sees that a blanket is draped over her body. Then, she looks around and finds her friends, Alice and Noah observing the various types of D-Wheels, parts and tools lying bout. "Wonderland…"

"So, looks like the princess finally woke up." says a gruff voice.

Haruka turns and gasps as Crow Hogan approached her, heart beating a mile a minute. Meanwhile, the cloth doll of Crow waves at his bigger counterpart with the cookie in hand.

"Big self! Big self!" The doll cheers. "Remember me?"

"W...what the..." Crow stammers out as he stares at the doll. He takes the cookie holding doll in his hands and inspects it front and back. "How is this talking? Does it run on batteries? Where's the pull string?"

"We're magic," says the doll of Kiryu Kyosuke. "Don't you remember us?"

"Yeah, you and our bigger selves signed your names on us and gave us life on Haruka's birthday!" says Cloth Crow. "Here, want this?"

Crow frowns as he takes the cookie into his hand. He takes a nibble, just to be polite, and lets the cookie melt in his mouth before swallowing.

"Um, do you like it?" Haruka asks, a bit nervously. "My mom gave me some to take for the trip to Wonderland. I'm, wow...to have a member of Team Satisfaction try my mom's cooking...oh, it's too good to be..."

She stops when she sees Crow hand the cookie back to his doll counterpart and sets the doll down on the floor, hand on his forehead, eyes squeezed shut. He rubs it slightly, as if clearing away a headache and when he opens his eyes, Haruka thinks that she can see that his sclerae have become the color of ink.

But that is impossible...eyes don't naturally turn black.

The dolls can sense her concern, as Cloth Crow looks down at the cookie with a chunk bitten off.

"He didn't like it," he says sadly. "I could sense it."

"That's nonsense!" says Cloth Jack. "Who can deny a cookie like that?"

"This is getting weirder by the second," Haruka mutters, releasing the three dolls in her grasp. As they race to Cloth Crow and comfort their friend, she pulls out her phone from her bag. "Maybe I should message Shooti about this."

"I already did, and he hasn't sent a reply yet."

Haruka turns to see Serena approaching. She then takes the time to take note where everyone else is: Masato is inspecting some tools on the wall, Kanata is sitting on a spare D-Wheel, pretending that she is riding it, Millefeui is sipping tea from a porcelain teacup (given to her by a butler with cinnamon colored hair) and Noah is holding hands with Alice as they walk around the workshop, Alice's eyes looking at everything with curiosity and awe.

"This is strange," says Haruka as Serena sits down. "Crow couldn't have completely forgotten about his life as part of Team Satisfaction. He stated that he was living the dream and all in a recent interview. But...maybe…"

"Maybe what?" says Serena, raising an eyebrow. "You're our expert on all things 'satisfying', right? What type of skeletons are in this guy's closet?"

"Well, all I know about his past life was that he was born an orphan in Domino Below, he cares deeply for children, he uses an awesome deck with lots of swarming capabilities, is currently boyfriends with fellow Team Satisfaction member Jack Atlas, his D-Wheel is known as 'Blackbird'..."

Haruka pauses as a light bulb lights up in her head. Then, she snaps her fingers. "I got it! Maybe if I open up to him about his D-Wheel, he can reveal something more. Like, maybe he was rescuing kids and ended up in a coma. That sounds logical."

"Good idea!" says Serena. "Once you got something, I can send it to Shooti-and HIkari-to see what they've dug up."

"Hikari? How did she get involved in this?"

Serena stands up and stares at Noah talking to Alice, seeing Alice giggle like she has been tickled non-stop. "She's also been keeping tabs on this coma epidemic. And right now, we need to forget about any rivalries we have in regards to who's the better actress in the Drama Club and focus on this mission."

"Yeah. Although I do kinda find it hilarious that she's not playing Alice right now."

The Cloth Dolls have returned to Haruka's side at this point, each munching on a bit of the cookie. All except Cloth Crow who tilts his head before giving his piece to Haruka.

"I don't feel hungry," he says. "For you."

"Why thank you!" says Haruka, placing a kiss on the doll's head. "Now, wish me luck!"

Popping the cookie piece into her mouth, she approaches Crow fine-tuning Blackbird. She grins wide as she sees the black and orange colored machine along with Crow's black bird like helmet with feathers and beak, but gushing about it would come later.

Crow is too focused on his work to notice his audience, so Haruka just sighs. Rather loudly.

"It's too bad I don't have Waite-Smith on me," she comments, staring at Crow's D-Wheel, Blackbird. "I always use her whenever I want to pretend I'm on a Duel Board, dueling anyone who challenges me while feeling the wind in my hair and being glad that I'm alive."

This catches his attention. "Waite-Smith?" Crow asks.

Haruka giggles. "That's what I name my skateboard. She's named after the most famous design of Tarot cards and _that_ name is derived from the last names of the two people who helped create the deck: Arthur Edward Waite (the scholar and mystic) and Pamela Colman Smith (the artist). And I am its Rider, named after the Rider Publishing Company that produced the book which prominently showcased this deck!"

"Oh. That's kinda cool."

"Mm-hmm! In fact, the deck I use is derived from the Tarot cards themselves! I've been known as a prodigy with it, to the fact that I've been dubbed the 'Princess of Prophecy'. Well, I got that name after a few rounds of duels at Satisfaction Town." Haruka swoons. "I'm sure you recall my first duel against the boy with the Morphtronic deck, or perhaps I can mention the duel when I challenged the duelist with Dino DNA or how I defeated Damon, the Draw Agent despite his uncanny knack of drawing the right card he needed (and without psychic powers too, those cheats!).

"But I think the one that cemented my love of you guys was when I went toe-to-toe with Jack Atlas…his Red Archfiend Dragon had my heart pumping. Finally, there was someone I could challenge!

"It was then and there that I decided that I would dedicate my young life to the art of Turbo Duels; from how they're played, the Speed World Spells, the roar of the crowd as people played card games on motorcycles...even now, I can imagine myself-"

"If you're done flapping your gums, can you leave me in peace?" Crow interrupts, turning to her. "I need to get Blackbird ready for my next race."

"Next race?" Haruka leans forward, hands on her knees. "But a race only works if you have a competitor. How can you race without someone...unless…"

Crow can catch where she is going, and Haruka's blue eyes sparkle like the sea, penetrating his defenses before he sighs and throws his hands up in the air.

"Fine, fine!" he says. "I can see that you're not going to stop your loquacious fangirling unless I do something." He stands up. "So how about it? You and me, one Caucus Race, winner take all!"

It takes everything inside Haruka from screaming again. Instead, she darts her eyes towards Serena, who pulls out her cellphone to type a message. Then, Haruka giggles.

"You're on, The Bullet! But of course, I'm gonna need a D-Wheel for this…"

She looks around and then notices the one Kanata is sitting on, one a brilliant chartreuse color with gold trim that reminds her of fairies and pixies.

"I choose that one!" Haruka exclaims, yelling so loud that Kanata falls out of the D-Wheel in pain. "I'm calling you Pixie Dust!"

"How does a fairy relate to a D-Wheel?" asks Alice, as she and the others approach her.

"Pixie was Pamela Smith's nickname," says Haruka. She grins with excitement. "And everyone knows that in order to fly you need love, trust and pixie dust!"

"All right then," says Crow. "I'll go over the basics on riding her and then we'll duel once you get the hang of it." He brings his hand out. "May the best duelist win."

"Ditto," Haruka replies, shaking the hand. "Ooh, this will be so much fun!"

As she gazes at Pixie Dust with the awe of seeing a beautiful sunset, she doesn't notice the look on Noah's face.

It is one of utter disgust.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"And that is how it ended," says Shooti, finishing his story.

Shinji and Hikari look in disbelief as the photographer looks through his photos once more. As Hikari presses a hand to her heart in an attempt not to puke at what she has learned, Shooti blinks.

"Oh," he says. "I see…"

"See what?" asks Hikari, her legs feeling like noodles. She leans onto Shinji to prevent herself from collapsing. "Some kind of corpse?"

Shooti ignores the question as he goes to where Shinji placed all the rabbit masks. He lifts one up and finds a folded piece of paper taped inside. He then removes the tape and tosses the folded paper to Reiji.

"How did you figure that out?" asks Shinji, watching his brother unfold the paper.

"My special ability," Shooti explains. "I have the ability to peer into the past of a person whom I photographed."

"How exactly does that work?" Hikari inquires. "You took that photo about an hour ago!"

"My camera has a special filter that can let me travel back up in time to any person I shoot with it. Then I just let my mind wander about like I was watching a movie until I found out what a person was hiding." Shooti shrugs his shoulders. "I mean, it's better than fabricating stories like my brother did with this ability."

"Your _brother_ did that?" Hikari gasps.

Shooti just nods his head, recalling that bitter memory of his brother's rise to fame. Bel just squeezes his hand as comfort.

"Let's save any parroting for later," says Reiji, looking at the unfolded letter. "Now, let's see…

" _To those who follow into the darkness,_

" _Should we find ourselves still in our dark slumber when you read this letter, please follow these instructions in order to help restore our memories. But first…_

" _For those who are learning about us for the first time, we were tasked by the Dark King to enter the strange twisted realm of Wonderland and see who has taken over it. Wonderland is supposed to be free for all to wander and wonder, not to hold anyone captive._

" _But in order to do this, without causing too much instability, we were to offer the memories of our 'past' to Wenet, and she will not let them go unless you can appease her with offerings. Wenet herself likes shiny baubles of high value, one that someone must offer their own blood, sweat and tears to obtain._

" _After you give the offering, follow her instructions in order to retrieve our memories. And be quick; you cannot make the same request twice with her should the offerings not satisfy her._

" _Make haste, and ensure that these souls can awaken before the dark ruler of Wonderland obtains what they want else all the souls not yet awakened will slumber within Wonderland forever."_

 _Sincerely, Team Satisfaction_

 _PS - Yes, Jack is the one who thinks_ Life is Strange.

"Yeah, called it!" Jun cheers all while Shooti rolls his eyes.

Hikari looks at the letter and shakes her head. "We have to give this bunny girl jewelry? How are we gonna find a jewel this late at night? Plus, none of us are that rich to pay off something like that!"

"Maybe we don't have to buy one," Bel suggests, clasping Hikari's hands into her own. "We could just _make_ one instead!"

"What...what are you doing?" Hikari stammers, darting her eyes back and forth.

Bel giggles, bowing her head so her eyes are hidden. "I sense plenty of greed in your soul, Hikari Hitagi. I can use that to create a valuable jewel that no one else can ever make."

"W...what do you mean greed? I mean, okay, I admit that I have a bit of attitude, but I don't flaunt my wealth about! Just last week, before I got sick, I…"

Bel silences Hikari with a finger to the lips. "Greed isn't always about having money," she interrupts. "It can also apply to just wanting more than what you already have. And from within your soul, the greed that I sense is of recognition, of fame." The finger then trails down towards Hikari's neck to her heart. "You want to be known, to have people clamor and praise you, correct?"

Hikari bites her lip as she finds herself too paralyzed to speak. Shinji steps in, bit Reiji just clamps a hand on his little brother's shoulder as Bel smirks.

"You want it all, and you push yourself to be amazing. Your performance in drama and on the flute, to your newspaper articles and cheerleading...it all screams a desire for attention! That is what we need tonight!"

Bel presses her hand on Hikari's heart and then thrusts it deep inside.

Hikari gasps, feeling like someone has pierced a knife into her chest as Bel's grin stretches out like chewed bubblegum. She struggles to escape, but all she can do is whimper in pain as Shooti and Jun watch from the sidelines.

"I wonder what type of jewel she'll create," Jun notes in a tone as if he was wondering what the weather would be like.

Shooti shrugs his shoulders. "Given how Hikari wants to shine bright, it kinda becomes obvious."

Just as the pain has formed, it suddenly recedes as Bel pulls her hand out and Hikari drops to her knees in pain. When Bel opens her hand, there sits a diamond no bigger than a pea, the color of the ocean.

"Not bad," she states. "A diamond with a color of the sea, its value related to the girl who presses herself to shine. This will be perfect."

"What...what did you just do to me?" Hikari exclaims, placing a hand over her heart. "Am I...am I still…"

"She just extracted the sin residing within you and shaped it into a jewel," Shooti clarifies with a roll of his eyes. "It's basic stuff and that gem is nothing compared to the jewels she can make from more selfish souls."

"She can do more than that?! And...does that mean…"

"Yeah, I feed off of the sin of Avarice also. And trust me, I'm hungrier than she is when it comes to our hunts."

"That's because you love orange flavored sweets more than I do!" Bel teases as she approaches the Seal of Wenet. She sets the diamond in the center as if placing the star on top of the Christmas tree. "And now, we wait."

"I don't want to!" Hikari shouts, struggling to stand. "This isn't what i expected when I wanted to help you guys out with the comas! Oh, now I just wish to get out of here and pretend none of this ever happened!"

"I would be careful with what you wish for, love!" says a disembodied voice.

Everyone turns to see the blue diamond offering sink into the Seal before a radiant blue light shines upon the hieroglyphics carved upon it. Everyone steps back before the light dims and the diamond is replaced with an adorable white rabbit wearing an usekh collar, a golden crown with an uraeus facing the six and black circles around its bright brown eyes.

No one says a word as the rabbit shakes its head or how it twitches its nose at the group. Then, after an awkward ten seconds, it speaks.

"Oh, hello there!" says the rabbit. "How can Wenet help you this fine evening?"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

45 minutes after Haruka learns how not to crash into a wall, and inserts her Duel Disk into the D-Wheel, she and Crow are at the starting line of the racetrack.

Alice stands at the sidelines while everyone else has been seated on a picnic blanket with leftover sandwiches being shared. Haruka's special Cloth Dolls cheer at the spread and begin to feast while Serena looks at her cellphone. Masato has his sister's satchel in his lap, trying to figure out what else his sister stored inside it.

"Got anything yet, Serena?" asks Kanata, taking note of Haruka looking like she is about to faint from sheer excitement.

Serena shakes her head. "Not yet. But apparently, Hikari is also joining in on the investigation."

"I thought she was still recovering from her cold," says Millefeui.

"Well I thought that too, but apparently she still has to make herself noticed even while sick," Serena sighs. "We may not like each other very much, but you can't deny that she can get dirt on anyone from DCIS if need be.

"Not to mention that Shinji has been doing investigations on his brother for a while that he can research keywords on _Chasing Shadows_ like nobody's business. Add the fact that he knows the ins and outs of Domino's more 'seedier' establishments, and you had a duo of investigators that could probably be having an internship at _Chasing Shadows_ over the summer if only Hikari and Shinji didn't have prejudice over the site."

As she says this, she doesn't notice the glare Noah gives her, one that could bore a hole into her head if not careful.

Back at the racetrack, Haruka, with a gold and green helmet covering her head, narrows her eyes before taking a glance back at Crow. She feels the purring of engines and takes a deep breath, feeling herself become one with the D-Wheel.

The Caucus Race is simple: they keep doing laps around the racetrack until someone loses, simple as that. Haruka is relieved that Speed World isn't used here, else her deck would be ruined trying to replace all her Spell Cards with Speed Spells.

Still, even without that stipulation, she is fighting off against a member of Team Satisfaction. And if she has done her research, she knows the types of monsters Crow will be using and the strategies involved.

But will it be enough to awaken him? Haruka certainly hopes so.

"Are you ready?" asks Alice to the side, waving a white cloth in the air.

Both duelists rev their D-Wheels as they look at the racetrack in front of them.

"The Wheels of Fate are turning!" Haruka proclaims, preparing her hand.

"Let's rev it up!" Crow shouts.

"Then...begin!" Alice announces, dropping the cloth in her hand.

The very moment the cloth hits the ground, the challengers speed off, and the duel begins.

 **(Haruka: 8000) - - - - - - - (Crow: 8000)**

 _Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!_ Haruka thinks in her mind as she draws a card. _I'm actually dueling Crow Hogan of Team Satisfaction in Wonderland! On a D-Wheel! This is the best thing that's ever happened to me!_

 _I can't screw this up. I have to duel my hardest in order to get Crow to awaken and then…_

 _Wait a second. If Crow's also here, doesn't that mean the_ other _members of Team Satisfaction are also in Wonderland, forgetting who they truly are and need someone to jog their memories?_

…

 _THAT'S SO COOL! We're going to free Team Satisfaction from this curse Wonderland has put on them! We'll get to actually duel them in_ Wonderland _of all places. The Team Satisfaction fan club is going to be uber envious! Ooh, someone pinch me before I…_

"Watch out!"

Haruka blinks and looks to find her driving straight to a corner. She presses hard on the handles as the D-Wheel swerves to the left just in time.

"Phew," she says. "That was close."

"Ladies first," says Crow, turning to see Haruka from behind. "Think you can handle it?"

"There's not a challenge I can't handle!" Haruka says as she looks at her hand. "Okay, I think I'll start with my Spell Card...Spellbook Star Hall!"

The Continuous Spell Card appears, depicting a magnificent hallway of white marble and columns with criss-crossing shadows and a glowing blue-white fixture on the ceiling.

"Now whenever I play a 'Spellbook' Spell Card, Spellbook Star Hall gains a Spell Counter. And for every Spell Counter on this card, all Spellcaster monsters I control gain an additional 100 attack points.

"So let's give it some help. I play Spellbook of Knowledge!"

Haruka places another card on the field, depicting four monsters (Emperor of Prophecy, Prophecy Destroyer, Temperance of Prophecy and Wheel of Prophecy) all standing in a circle with their weapons raised into the air. Hovering over their heads is a red book with white circuitry lines on the cover, and bound with silver rings.

"Now by tossing a 'Spellbook' card from my hand, I can draw two more cards!" Haruka explains. "And like I said before, I get to place a Spell Counter on Spellbook Star Hall!"

As she tosses a card (Spellbook Organization) to the graveyard and draws two more cards, a glowing white star hovers over her Spellbook Star Hall. (SC: 0 -) 1

"And let's tip the balance towards me! I summon Justice of Prophecy in Attack Mode!"

With a giggle, Haruka's first monster appears. It is a woman with pale blonde hair in green robe and matching hat all trimmed with white and a white emblem resembling a fleur-de-lis with black orbs attached to it. In her hands are two weapons: a golden mallet with two scales in her left hand, and a black serrated shortsword in her right hand, both displaying the same fleur-de-lis emblem with black orbs. Trailing down her waist are two long white ribbons inscribed with black runes. She smirks as she crosses her arms across her chest, weapons ready. (1600 -) 1700 ATK)

"What the?" Crow asks, flabbergasted. "What is that?"

Haruka frowns. So Crow really doesn't remember her at all.

"Prophecy monsters," she explains. "They are based on the Tarot cards and work in conjunction with the Spellbook cards. These cards have won me many a duel in the past, and they are gonna help in waking you up!"

 _Atta girl!_ Justice of Prophecy agrees. _Now, end your turn so we can get this party started!_

"I Set two more cards face-down," Haruka continues, watching as two large holographic cards appear next to her. "And that's it."

"That the best you can do?" asks Crow.

At this, Justice of Prophecy laughs again.

"Justice of Prophecy like things in balance," says Haruka. "You see, if I played a Spellbook card this turn, I can Banish her to take both a Level 5 or higher Light or Dark Spellcaster along with a brand new Spellbook from my deck to my hand. And I already have just what I need!"

Justice of Prophecy spins around before she leaves the field as Haruka looks at the heads-up display on her helmet and makes her choices. Crow has to close his mouth in shock as he watches Haruka take three new cards into her hand before he looks back at the racetrack.

"Well, my opening move is gonna blow you away!" he says. "I draw!"

He draws his card before staring at it. Then, he grins.

"First off, I play Graceful Charity!"

The angel in the green cloak appears, her wings shedding three feathers that dissolve into light when they touch Blackbird as Crow draws three more cards, then send two to the graveyard.

"And then, since I control no cards, I can Special Summon Blackwing - Gust the Backburst!"

In a burst of blue feathers, Crow's monster appears. It is a humanoid figure of a man with bird-like feet and claws, a headdress of a green feathery bird and long blue-white tail feathers. On his back is a pair of elegant sky-blue wings. (900 ATK)

"And next, I play the Spell Card Black Whirlwind!"

Haruka stays quiet as she sees the Continuous Spell Card, showing a tornado with two black feathers spinning round and round. Deep down, she is practically screaming inside at how she is actually going to face one of Crow's signature combos!

"Now whenever I Normal Summon a 'Blackwing' monster on the field, I can take another 'Blackwing' monster with a lower attack score than the one that was summoned from my deck into my hand," Crow explains. "And since I haven't made a Normal Summon yet, I'll use it to summon Blackwing - Pinaki the Waxing Moon!"

With a caw, another Blackwing monster appears. It is a raven with pointed "ears" and a turban topping its head, decorated with two red feathers. In one black wing, it grips onto a bow, and the other wing has a red feather like an arrow. Dangling on its ears are two large sapphire earrings, and its beak is stretched out into a cartoonish grin. (1200 ATK)

"And that's not all!" Crow adds, taking a card from his deck to his hand. "The monster I took from Black Whirlwind's effect is Blackwing - Breeze the Zephyr! And when it is taken from my deck to my hand due to a card effect, I get to Special Summon it!"

In a storm of saffron feathers, a small bird-like child appears with vermillion feathers for hair and body and saffron feathers for hands appears. It blinks its eyes at Haruka and tilts its head to the side in curiosity. (1100 ATK)

"And since you know so much about me," Crow chuckles. "Care to guess what I'm about to do?"

Haruka nods. "Pinaki is a Tuner monster, and you're gonna Synchro Summon. But which monster is it gonna be?"

"Good question! Go Pinaki and Gust!"

Gust transforms into a cluster of two stars while Pinaki caws and shifts into three green rings. The two stars zip through those rings as Haruka looks both in awe and fear at what is to come.

 **(2* + 3* = 5*)**

" _Winged warrior who shines in the night. Let your blade smite my enemies and bring victory now! Level 5! Synchro Summon! Blackwing - Gram the Shining Star!"_

The stars and rings explode as a new figure emerges. It is a warrior wearing knight's armor, four black wings outstretched from its back, and a claymore in its right claw with the hilt of a bird's claw. It lets out a cry as it looks at Haruka's empty field with interest. (2200 ATK)

 _Oh no..._ Haruka thinks to herself. _Gram lets Crow Special Summon another Blackwing monster from his hand. But what will he choose?_

Crow chuckles. "Surprised? Well, you should be! With Gram on the field, I can Special Summon a Blackwing monster from my hand, but with its effects negated. However, I'm not gonna use it."

"What?! What for?"

"You'll see. Instead, I'll use the effect of Blackwing - Harmattan the Dust to Special Summon it onto the field!"

A fourth Blackwing monster appears, to the left of Gram. It is a black curlew with red tipped feathers, a lime green belly, a necklace of large red beads around its neck, and yellow anklets on its feet. (800 DEF)

"And here's the fun part! I can add the level of another 'Blackwing' monster onto Harmattan's own, and I choose Gram!"

The beads around Harmattan's neck glows until seven are lit up. (LV: 2 -) 7)

"...You done?" Haruka asks, staring at her hand. This had better work…

"Don't tell me you're bored now!" Crow teases as the two make a sharp left turn. "What's Justice gonna do now since you essentially emptied your field of monsters?

"Now Gram, attack with Polaris Slice!"

Gram caws and flies toward Haruka's side of the field as Haruka just smirks.

"I activate my first face-down card, A Hero Emerges!" she shouts.

The card flips, revealing Zombyra the Dark emerging from a portal. Haruka then reveals her hand, revealing five cards.

"Now you have to choose a card from my hand," she explains. "But choose wisely; remember that I just got a _very_ powerful Spellcasters last turn."

Crow snarls as he takes a good look at the cards in hand. Then, after a few seconds, he shouts, "The one on the far left."

Haruka stares at the card, and then cackles like witches of old.

"Bow down to the King, Crow!" she says, placing the card on her Duel Disk. "Come forth, Emperor of Prophecy!"

Emerging from a portal of shadows is a proud figure dressed in gold, black and purple robe with white ribbons trailing around him. In his right hand is a golden fan and he has an arrogant grin on his face. (2300 -) 2400 ATK)

"Doesn't he look...familiar?" asks Haruka.

At this, Crow feels something linger in his mind. The Emperor _does_ look familiar. But...

"So you got a powerful monster," Crow remarks. "Gram is still stronger than Death!"

"Then, let's have my second card even things out!" Haruka retorts. "Go Ego Boost!"

The lone face-down card flips revealing a small blue hero surrounded by a golden spectral version of himself while Lava Battleguard looks on.

"Ego Boost increases the attack of one monster on the field by 1000 this turn. And my Emperor would like you to show that he towers over you!"

Emperor of Prophecy smirks as he feels his pride swell. (2400 -) 3400 ATK) The Synchro monster has no time to react as the haughty Emperor fires a blast of magic from his fan, causing Crow to grunt as his lifepoints drop.

 **(Haruka: 8000) - - - - - - - (Crow: 6800)**

"Anything else?" says Haruka.

"No," Crow replies, placing a card face-down. "I'm ending my turn there. However, since Pinaki the Waxing Moon was sent to my graveyard this turn, I get to take another Blackwing monster from my deck to my hand!"

"Can you Special Summon _that_ one?"

"Nope."

"Good."

As Crow takes another card into his hand, Haruka draws a card, one hand gripping the handlebar of Pixie Dust as she passes a turn on the left..

"First off," she begins. ",Just to make sure I'm playing my cards right, I activate Akashic Record!" she says.

Her Spell Card appears, depicting a massive skull of a _Tyrannosaurus Rex_ and a myriad of bones.

"It's said that the Akashic Record is like a massive library that contains everything in existence," Haruka explains. "Thoughts, hopes, dreams, philosophies from the past, present and future are said to be housed within a plane far beyond our understanding.

"But for me, this card allows me to draw two cards from my deck and show them to you. However, if these cards have already been in play, then they get Banished instead.

"That's not fair at all!" Crow exclaims. "It's only your second turn, so you hardly played anything!"

"Yep!"

Haruka draws two cards into her deck before showing them to Crow. Crow says nothing as the girl adds the two into her hand.

"And now, let's bring out another Prophecy monster to the field!" she cheers. "I summon Charioteer of Prophecy in Attack Mode!"

With a whinny, a man on a white horse gallops besides Haruka. The man who appears to be in his teens with short yellow hair and dressed in a green tunic with gold trim. A blue cape is draped over his shoulders and in his right hand is a sword surrounded by gusts of wind and orange runes. Tied to his waist is a white ribbon with grey runes. (1800 -) 1900 ATK)

"And FYI, don't leave your Special Summoned monsters in Attack Mode," Haruka smirks. "Emperor of Prophecy, attack with Royal Fan's Beating!"

Emperor of Prophecy flies towards the black curler, raising his fan over his head. Crow just smirks.

"Good thing I have a backup plan," he says. "I activate Defense Draw!"

Haruka frowns as a barrier rises up to protect Harmattan. Emperor of Prophecy's attack harmlessly bounces off against it as Crow takes a new card to his hand.

"That's all for me this turn," says Haruka. "You're up."

The two make it past the starting line, but the score-board doesn't show any signs of how many laps are being counted. Then again, this is a Caucus Race…

"My turn," says Crow, drawing his card. "And I'll start by summoning the monster I got at the end of my last turn. Go, Blackwing - Tornado the Reverse Wind!"

In a swirl of indigo colored wind, a humanoid bird appears, with dark violet feathers and wings tipped with sharp blades. (1000 ATK)

Meanwhile, Crow searches through his deck before taking another Blackwing monster to his hand.

"And guess what? When Tornado the Reverse Wind is Summoned like this while you have a Special Summoned monster on the field, I can Special Summon a Blackwing Tuner from my graveyard with its effects negated. Guess who's back?"

Haruka grimaces as Pinaki the Waxing Moon returns, ready to fire a sharp red feather at Emperor of Prophecy (1200 ATK)

"And here we go! Time for another Synchro Summon!" Crow announces.

Pinaki transforms into three rings once more as Tornado forms four glowing stars that swirl round and round the rings.

 **(3* + 4* = 7*)**

 _"Wet those pitch-black wings. Resonate with the drizzling rain, single strike of lightning! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Pierce through! Assault Blackwing - Chidori the Light Rain!"_

Thunder and lightning boom as a new Blackwing monster emerges, although one that Haruka _clearly_ has never heard of before. It stands at least six feet tall with two sets of black wings: a smaller pair on its chest plate tipped with sharp blades and a pair of larger ones for flight. It has green battle armor covering its right arm and left leg and a longsword in its hands along with strips of blue cloth around its waist. (2600 ATK)

"W...what...WHAT?!" Haruka exclaims. " _Assault_ Blackwing? Where in the world did you get that?"

"It's simple! I...I…"

At this, Crow pauses as he stares at the card on his Duel Disk, trying to figure out just where he obtained such a monster. But just as he realizes this, his eyes flash white and he snarls.

"It doesn't matter where I got it!" He answers Haruka, turning to face her. "All that matters is that you are beaten here without mercy!"

Haruka yelps as she sees Chidori raise his weapon into the air. This is absolutely _not_ the Crow Hogan she is a huge fan of.

"Chidori's effect activates!" Crow shouts. "For every Blackwing monster in my graveyard, he gains an additional 300 attack points! And I count seven!"

"Seven?!" says Haruka, doing some mental calculations in her head. "Last I check, you sent five to the...oh no...two were sent when you played Graceful Charity!"

Seven bolts of lightning strike Chidori's blade as the Assault Blackwing monster smirks. (2600 -) 4700 ATK)

"Now Chidori, slay the Charioteer with all your might!"

Chidori cries and zooms towards Charioteer of Prophecy, slicing the equestrian's head clean off before the spellcaster can utter a single word.

 **(Haruka: 5200) - - - - - - - (Crow: 5800)**

"I end my turn there," says Crow. "Do your worst."

Haruka grits her teeth as she stares back at Crow's new monster. Chidori just smirks and beckons for her to come at him with all she has.

"I will!" says Haruka, drawing her card. "My turn!"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Call me crazy," says Kanata. "But I don't think Crow had that type of monster before, right?"

"Neither did Ryoji have a Mermaid Knight in his deck," Serena agrees. "Say Noah, do you know anything about how these people came to enter Wonderland? Better yet, how the hell did _you_ enter this place?"

"Such language!" says Noah, arms wrapped around Alice like he doesn't want to let her go. Serena grits her teeth at the act. "And if you must know, I honestly can't say that I do know how they came here. I am just the welcoming committee for any and all who decide to go down the rabbit hole."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Oh that was a question?" asks Noah, that smile on his face once more. "Then why didn't you say so sooner!"

Millefeui growls. "This isn't funny!"

"Neither is the fact that you arrive hurting Chumley and Mako with these 'truths'," Noah answers back. "I don't know what you're up to, but Wonderland will not be tainted by your filth. Your words are nothing but lies meant to lead these people astray from what they truly want."

"What you're spouting is absolute bull and you know it!" Millefeui notes.

"But even if it is 'bull', I'm the only person you can trust to traverse Wonderland in the first place," says Noah, grey eyes glaring at Millefeui. "So I suggest you keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you and enjoy the show."

Millefeui returns the glare with one of her own, ready to prepare one of her cards to attack, only for Masato to shout as he sees his sister about to take a direct attack, his sister's Cloth Dolls in his lap gasping as they see the attack connect and Haruka nearly toppling over to her side.

"Oh no…" says Kanata, looking worried. "Did...did she lose?"

"Let's wait," says Serena, watching the smoke clear up. "I don't think our Princess of Prophecy is gonna lose so easily...especially if she's fighting one of her idols.

"She knows what she's doing. The Wheels of Fate won't let her down."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"My turn starts!" says Haruka. "And I start by summoning Stoic of Prophecy in Attack Mode."

Emerging in a portal of water is a tall warrior with red spiky hair, wearing a blue blouse with a high collar and orange epaulets. Tied around the blouse is a belt and the fleur-de-lis emblem of the Prophecy monsters as a buckle. In both of his hands, he wields two large spears with yellow cuffs and blue mirrors circling their heads. Wrapped around his neck like a scarf are two white ribbons with grey runes. He wears a pair of maroon pants and silver boots. (300 -) 400 ATK)

"What?!" Crow laughs. "What's that thing gonna do to me?"

"Stoic isn't for you," Haruka answers. "But he's gonna help me out in a big way once I Equip Wonder Wand to him!"

An Equip Spell card emerges, and the spears in Stoic's hands are replaced with a wand with a wooden staff and a large green orb in the center. (400/100 -) 900/600)

"Any Spellcaster equipped to Wonder Wand gains 500 attack and defense points," Haruka starts. "But should I tribute the Spellcaster who is equipped to it, I get to draw two cards.

"Plus, when Stoic of Prophecy is sent to the graveyard, he allows me to take a Level 3 'Prophecy' monster from my deck to my hand."

Stoic of Prophecy nods his head as he leaves the field. Haruka draws two cards, but then grimaces at what she sees.

 _Desert Sunlight?_ she thinks.. _Ugh, I must have forgotten to take this out when I swapped out Old Vindictive Magician last week. This is nothing but dead weight in my hand now, and I need every card I can get if I want to pull my ultimate strategy off._

She then looks at the display on her helmet and notices the various Prophecy monsters she can select from. She chooses the one in the middle and watches as the card pops out of her deck. She then takes it, giving her a hand of six cards.

"I end my turn with two cards face-down," she says. "Your move."

"Gladly," says Crow, drawing his card. "Now then, since you know that I discarded two 'Blackwing' monsters to the graveyard when I played Graceful Charity, care to take a guess as to what one of them was?"

Haruka bites her tongue, knowing that asking such a question is useless (and prays to anyone watching over her that Crow isn't about to play Question). She hears Crow cackle as he states,

"One of the Blackwing monsters I sent there was Blackwing - Vayu the Emblem of Honor! And now I choose to Banish him and Gram the Shining Star to bring forth another Synchro Summon!"

 _Not Vayu_! Haruka groans. _But on the bright side, this means his Assault Blackwing monster is a lot weaker than before, not that it helps much._

Chidori the Light Rain's attack drops (4700 -) 4100 ATK) while two cards are ejected from Crow's graveyard as the spectral figures of Gram and Vayu (which is a white bird dressed as a delinquent with a black cloak, wooden sandals and red feathers emulating a pompadour) appear on the field. Gram transforms into five stars while Vayu forms the trinity of green rings that signal another Synchro Summon.

 **(5* + 1* = 6*)**

 _"Brandish the great blade of myth, heroic raptor! Synchro Summon! Level 6! Blackwing - Nothung the Starlight!"_

Emerging from a green portal is a purple winged-beast monster with a pair of obsidian wings, black shoulder pads and a sword with a blue blade like glass. Nothung smirks at Haruka and her Emperor of Prophecy before opening its beak to screech. (2400 ATK)

"Are you familiar with this monster?" asks Crow, relishing the look of dread on Haruka's face.

"I am," Haruka answers, focusing on the road rather than let Crow see how scared she is on the inside. "When Nothung is summoned, I lose 800 lifepoints…"

Nothung raises his sword into the air as a bolt of black lightning strikes it. Then, he brings the sword down as it strikes Pixie Dust and Haruka grunts in pain.

 **(Haruka: 4400) - - - - - - - (Crow: 5800)**

"And then, Nothung can choose a monster I control and decrease its attack and defense by 800," Haruka continues, staring at Emperor of Prophecy.

Nothung unleashes a throaty chuckle as another bolt of lightning strikes Emperor of Prophecy. (2400/2000 -) 1600/1200)

"But even then, my monster will take the brunt of Chidori's attack, and I'll still have enough lifepoints to last another turn."

"Will you now?" Crow flashes an evil grin at the girl. "I activate my facedown card, Black Return!"

Haruka gasps as the face-down card lifts, revealing Blackwing - Bora the Spear flying above an irate dragon.

"Since only one 'Blackwing' monster was Special Summoned this turn, I get to choose your Emperor here, gain lifepoints equal to his attack and then send him back to his castle! Say goodbye!"

Haruka watches as Emperor of Prophecy is struck by a large gale of wind, teeth chatting in fear as she looks at the face-down cards and Spellbook Star Hall that will remain after her monster disappears. As she looks in worry, Emperor of Prophecy places a hand on her shoulder.

 _Do not worry about me._ Emperor says in a soothing tone. _You have the strength to carry this out to the end._

"Do I though?" asks Haruka, seeing the Light Prophecy monster still in her hand, along with four other cards.

 _Trust in the Heart of the Cards._ Emperor of Prophecy advises. _They'll guide you just like how you guide others through us._

Haruka slowly nods her head as Emperor of Prophecy fades away and she takes his card back into her hand. Meanwhile, she notices how Crow's lifepoints have shot up.

 **(Haruka: 4400) - - - - - - - (Crow: 7400)**

Crow then shifts Harmattan the Dust and Breeze the Zephyr into attack mode (Harmattan: 800 ATK, Breeze: 1100 ATK) as the four Blackwing monsters prepare their assault.

"This is the end for you!" Crow states. "Attack her directly!"

The murder of Blackwings zoom towards Haruka, Chidori and Nothung with their swords ready, Breeze preparing a flurry of red-orange feathers, and Harmattan ready to peck her eyes out.

"You may have your monsters, but you won't win!" Haruka screams. "Go, Damage Diet!"

Haruka's face-down card lifts, revealing a doll with red hair, yellow blouse and red shoes, easily dodging attacks from a pair of extending arms.

"Now when I take battle damage this turn, it's cut in half!" says Haruka, her blue eyes glowing a bright red like a bonfire. "So I'm still in this duel, Blackwing BASTARD!"

She nearly loses her balance as she feels the sword strikes of the Synchro monsters just as she turns to the side, Breeze's feathers stabs her in the arm and with one hand she brushes Harmattan's desires to rip her eyes out. She then sees Nothung kick her in the ribs for good measure before the four return to their master's side.

 **(Haruka: 200) - - - - - - - (Crow: 8300)**

"And that's not all," Haruka continues, looking how far her lifepints have dropped. "I activate Shock Draw to draw cards for every 1000 points of damage I took, and I took more than 4000,"

Haruka's second face-down card flips as she takes four more cards to her hand. As she looks at them, she sighs in relief.

 _At least it can't get any worse._ Haruka thinks to herself.

"Give up!" Crow says, slapping another face-down card. "You had no chance in defeating me!"

"You think you know me," Haruka replies, drawing her card. "But I'm known for tipping the scales when you least expect it!

"So first, let me bring out a little friend of mine. I summon Spellbook Magician of Prophecy in Defense Mode."

In a portal of light, a small boy appears, dressed in white and blue robes and a peaked hat on top of his head. A bang of white hair peeks out, while his nose is stuck in the book he is reading. (500/400 -) 600/400)

"When Spellbook Magician of Prophecy is summoned, I get to take a 'Spellbook' card to my hand," says Haruka. "And I know just the card to help me turn the tide."

"And what's that?" says Crow.

Haruka swipes the card out from her Duel Disk and answers, "This! First, I play Spellbook of Secrets!"

A Spell Card depicting a purple book made of hard light with silver rings and a blue orb in the center appears. Coincidentally, it looks exactly like the book Spellbook Magician of Prophecy is reading.

"This card lets me take a 'Spellbook' card from my deck to my hand," says Haruka, taking a card into her hand. "And _this_ card is one of my favorites! I play Spellbook of Fate!"

Haruka slams a Spell Card onto her Duel Disk, watching as it appears behind Spellbook Magician of Prophecy (who is still reading). It is similar to Magic Triangle of the Ice Barrier in a sense: with three Prophecy monsters together (Spellbook Magician of Prophecy, Hermit of Prophecy and Justice of Prophecy) all looking at a glowing yellow book while floating in the air and yellow runes circling them.

"When I have at least one Spellcaster on the field, I can Banish up to three Spellbook cards in my graveyard to activate an effect. And for this, I Banish the three I have to end Chidori's assault!"

"What?!" Crow shouts.

"You heard me!" says Haruka. "C'mon, Klaus! Let's do this!"

Spellbook Magician of Prophecy looks up from his book and raises a hand into the air as the images of three Spellbook cards hover over his hand. Then, he lowers his hand as a blast of magic energy pierces through Chidori the Light Rain and sends the Assault Blackwing monster out of the field. Meanwhile, Spellbook Star Hall has two more Spell Counters.

"Thanks," says Haruka, sighing in relief. "I thought we were a goner back there."

 _Anything for you, Princess._ Spellbook Magician of Prophecy says with a smile as he returns to his book. _Make your next move._

Haruka nods her head as she takes another card into her hand. "Next I play Double Summon to let me summon another Prophecy monster, Temperance of Prophecy!"

Emerging from a portal of light is a mysterious woman with green hair, wearing a brown hooded robe lined with silver. In both of her hands are two golden goblets connected by a long chain that glows in a soft teal light, along with the fleur-de-lis emblem strung onto it. Glowing purple runes float around her while the white ribbons with grey runes trail down her waist. (1000 -) 1300 ATK)

"And guess what?" says Haruka. "Since I played a Spellbook card before summoning her, I can offer Temperance to Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Dark Spellcaster from my deck onto the field!"

Temperance nods her head as she pours the contents of her goblets onto the racetrack just as Haruka and Crow pass the startling line a second time. She jumps into the portal before, with a loud roar, a new Prophecy monster appears. Unlike the previous ones, who were human, this one is based off of a lion, with a mane flowing like a head of hair. He wears black gladiator armor with red orbs and his weapon is a large shield with razor blades circling it, with red runes floating around. Painted onto the shield are the images of a black snake, a red winged demon and a jackal, chasing after each other in a circle. (2700 -) 3000 ATK)

"Who is that?" asks Crow. "That's not a Spellcaster!"

"Oh, but he is," Haruka answers. "This is Wheel of Prophecy, and when he's summoned through the effect of a Spellcaster, then I can return as many Banished Spellbook cards back into my deck."

"WHAT?! That's absolutely unfair!"

Haruka clicks her teeth. "Coming from someone with that Assault Blackwing monster who won't even discuss where he got it from? Talk about hypocritical!"

She takes her Banished cards back into her deck as Wheel of Prophecy roars in approval.

"All right then," she says. "Wheel of Prophecy, attack Nothung with Whirlwind War Wheel!"

 _I wish you'd stop using alliteration for this attack._ Wheel of Prophecy grumbles as he prepares his weapon. Bringing his arm back, he spins round and round before he hurls the weapon like a discuss, the blades spinning round and round in order to slice Nothung's head clean off.

"Not so fast!" Crow roars. "Go Half or Nothing!"

His facedown card flips, showing a duelist watching Judge Man rise from a lake while wielding two axes in his hand, a brilliant golden double-bladed axe in his right hand, and a normal looking one in his left hand."

"Now you have to choose either to half the attack of your precious monsters or end your battle phase right now," says Crow. "And we both know what you have to choose."

Haruka snarls. "Stand down, Aslan."

Aslan runs towards his weapon and grabs it just before a centimeter away from Nothung's head. The beast-like Spellcaster then walks back to Haruka's side to the field as Haruka plays another face-down card.

"Do your worst," Haruka spits out.

"I will!" Crow cackles, drawing his card. "And since I control two 'Blackwing' monsters with different names, I can Special Summon Blackwing - Oroshi the Squall in Attack Mode!"

Flying from the sky is a blackbird (of course) with teal eyebrows and a large red waddle. It flaps its wings as it lands on top of Crow's helmet. (400 ATK)

"And guess what, Princess…" Crow says mockingly. "Oroshi is a Tuner, and he's gonna help me summon one of my most powerful monsters!"

"How so?" asks Haruka, eyeing the other two monsters on the field. "Oroshi is a Level 1 monster, and the levels of your other monsters are…"

She pauses as she observes the specs for Harmattan the Gust. Where it should be at Level 2, it now displays Level 7!

"Oh no!" Haruka yells.

"That's right!" Crow shouts. "Harmattan's level is perfect for the storm that is about to blow! Go my monsters!"

Oroshi and Harmattan fly into the air, the former turning into three green rings, and the latter into a cluster of seven stars that line up ducks in a row before zipping through the rings.

 **(1* + 7* = 8*)**

 _"Fly to me from the last days, cloaked in obsidian winds!_ " Crow chants. " _Synchro Summon! Level 8! Come forth, Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon!"_

And then, the sky opens and a dragon descends, flapping its wings to form a powerful downdraft that nearly causes Pixie Dust to fly off the track. It is only through Wheel of Prophecy grasping onto Pixie Dust with a firm hand that prevents Haruka from flying off and ending up scraping off much of her skin on the racetrack.

Haruka looks up and gasps. The dragon with its bird-like head and dark blue and black body, its two pairs of black and crimson wings and trail of silver-white feathers is an absolute monstrosity of the highest order. The dragon turns to her and licks its beak before opening its mouth to unleash an unholy screech that sounds like hundreds of nails on a chalkboard. (2800 ATK)

 _Okay..._ Haruka gulps. _I take that back now; things have_ definitely _gotten worse._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

After the long and lengthy discussion from the six teens, Wenet closes her eyes. Her ears twitch slightly while Shinji takes a glance at the Bunilla card in his hand before looking at his older brother, unable to grasp the change that came about.

The Reiji that stands in front of Shinji cannot be the same one who cooked all of those meals, played _Shadow of the Colossus_ until three in the morning, and laughed as Shinji cuddled with all of those rabbits. This one, is cold, aloof, distant...absolutely _nothing_ like the older brother who promised to take care of Shinji…

Steeling his resolve, Shinji tugs on his brother's cloak.

"Reiji…" he begins. "How did you...I mean, what happened that night? If you weren't going out to duel Seto Kaiba...then, who did you duel? And why did they call you in the first place?"

Reiji stays quiet as a tear falls down his eye. He wipes it away with the corner of his sleeve before he says, "I took a bus to Domino Below, and when I followed the instructions to the address 'Kaiba' gave me, I soon found myself-"

"Aha! I got it!"

Wenet opens her eyes and does a smart flip before transforming into a tan-skinned woman with a white bob-cut and bunny ears, along with a top hat perched crookedly on her head. She wears a sharp white suit jacket with a black and white cravat, a black pencil skirt and black knee-length boots. Instead of a pocket watch in her hand, she carries a cartouche, although the usekh collar is still around her neck.

"I know just what to ask for!" Wenet says. "I'll give you the memories of Team Satisfaction to you if you give me four items: something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue."

"Huh?" asks Bel. "But aren't those items you give to a bride about to be married?"

"Maybe," Wenet giggles. "But if I decided to ask for something like a scarab made of gold or blood from a virgin, then there would be no time and time is of the essence tonight."

"Something old, huh?" says Reiji. He looks at the card in his brother's hand, then smirks as he forcibly yanks it out of Shinji's grasp. "Take this then."

Shinji looks in alarm when Reiji hands Wenet the Bunilla card, feeling like his heart is about to split in two.

"Reiji, th...that card…" he begins, only for Reiji to look back at him, eyes glowing black.

"Clinging onto the past isn't going to help us now," The older boy snaps. "If we want to save everyone from Wonderland's curse, we have to give this up."

Wenet takes the card into her hand and stares at it, tilting her head this way and that. Then, she grins and slips the card into a pocket of her jacket.

"That will do!" she says, oblivious to how Shinji is on the verge of tears. Then, she narrows her eyes. "But do you really want to see this particular memory? Crow Hogan would be much happier in Wonderland, doing what he did before he decided to take destiny into his own hands."

"He needs to know," Reiji answers. "Sleeping in that dreamland will do us no good."

Wenet sighs. "Very well, but don't say I didn't warn you."

In her hand, she forms a glowing orb the size of a grapefruit and tosses it into Reiji's hands. Reiji lifts the orb into the air as the six stare at the image.

"It looks like Domino Below," says Jun, seeing the grainy footage. "Wait, it's becoming clearer!"

The sphere reveals a first person view of Crow Hogan in Domino Below, staring at the pier filled with trash. It is dark outside, and the only other person there is Kiryu Kyosuke, eyes black as night.

"Kiryu has the same eyes as - " Hikari doesn't get to finish as Bel covers her mouth with a hand.

" _I don't know about this…"_ Crow in the sphere mutters. In his right hand is a gun, causing Hikari and Shinji to gasp. " _Are you sure…"_

" _Think about it, Crow,"_ Kiryu whispers into Crow's ear, his voice loud enough to sound like Kiryu was actually in the strange ritual room. " _If you do this, you will be reborn, and we can build a land where no child will ever have to grow hungry again; where no child will be separated from their parents. They can be forever young, forever happy, forever free of any and all burdens that could come to them. They can have their satisfaction here when the Gates of Hamunaptra open."_

Crow's voice starts to grow distant. " _Forever…"_ he mumbles.

Kiryu nods his head and squeezes Crow's shoulder. " _All of this can happen if you pull the trigger. I'll be with you when you come back from the other side. So will Yusei, and so will Jack."_

" _Jack is…"_

" _Do it, Crow. For our sake. For everyone here in Domino Below. For the Dark King."_

There is the sound of muffled cries in the distance, but Crow pays no attention to them. Crow gulps and then, the audience sees Crow raise the loaded gun to his temple.

" _For Hamunpatra…"_ Crow whispers as he pulls the trigger...

Except for Shooti and Bel, who have already seen this particular scene in real life, everyone flinches and turns away when they hear the gunshot. Seconds later, they see Kiryu cradling the red-haired man in his arms, simultaneously laughing and crying as the yellow markings on Crow's face darken to a burgundy color, and his grey eyes darken into the color of shadows.

With that, the memory ends and the sphere is blank. Wenet just turns to Crow's body in the stone coffin and sighs.

"Now he flies over clouded twilight skies," she notes. "Nothing to bind him, no one will find him this high."

Everyone is silent, with Shinji and Hikari looking in shock, while Shooti grits his teeth. Bel and Jun are there to calm him down before he decides to smash the sphere in Reiji's hands like it is made of glass.

"Is that...did that just…" Hikari asks. "Crow killed himself...and you're all okay with it?"

"If you think _that_ was bad, it gets worse off from there," says Shooti, glancing at Jack Atlas with a look of pity and disgust. "Oh does it get worse."

Wenet sighs as Reiji hands Shooti the sphere. The boy stares at the orb for a second or two, tightening his grip as if he wanted to shatter it, but then shakes his head.

"All right, how can we transfer this memory to the real Crow?" he asks.

"How have you been communicating with Serena?" Hikari inquires.

"Well, it appears that Haruka has a cellphone charm that she connected to Serena's phone that somehow can transfer Ghostrick Mary to me so she can travel like a ghost in a machine to get the info on whoever is traveling in Wonderland."

"What?" Hikari asks as she looks at Shooti's phone. On the notepad app she sees Ghostrick Mary staring back at her, slightly panicking. "Wait...if a spirit can be transferred to a phone, is it possible that..."

Hikari hastily pulls out her cellphone and after a minute of quick button presses, she looks up. "I think I just figured out how to get this memory to Crow."

"What do you mean?" asks Shinji. "Can't we just tell it via a simple message?"

"You want Serena and the others to _tell_ Haruka that the duelist she is fighting died by shooting himself in the head?" Hikari shakes her head. "If Serena is right and Haruka is going through a Turbo Duel, the last thing we need is to traumatize her! No, I think I can find a better approach."

"How so?" asks Jun.

Hikari smirks. "Well, Haruka was gifted four little friends on her birthday…"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

As everyone watches Crow's Synchro Dragon screech at Haruka and her monsters, and both duelists racing towards the starting line once more, Serena feels her phone vibrate. Pulling it out from her jacket pocket, she looks at the message and raises an eyebrow.

-(Hikari): Did Haruka bring her Cloth Dolls with her?-

Serena hastily answers, _-Yeah. They're with Masato right now. Why do you ask?-_

Ten seconds after she types this out, Serena gets her reply.

-We need the Cloth Doll of Crow to touch your phone so he can contain the real Crow's memories.-

Serena blinks. _-What was that?-_

-Just trust me, all right? There's no way you can get to Crow without it! How is Haruka doing?-

 _-Well, she's having trouble breaking through Crow's Synchro monsters and she just saw Crow unleash a dragon, albeit not his traditional one. I'm not sure how she'll win this unless she somehow has a nuclear bomb in her deck.-_

-This is the Princess of Prophecy we're talking about! She has to win this. Now wait until we get this memory uploaded.-

Serena sighs as she looks at the Cloth Dolls, the four little things cheering Haruka on, innocent of the situation. They jump and wave their arms, hoping their encouragement reaches out to the girl on the D-Wheel as everyone else says nothing.

Serena's phone vibrates once again as she looks at the screen. Her eyes widen in surprise as what she sees.

"Serena, what's going on?" asks Masato, taking the Cloth Dolls into his lap. "Did you get a new message?"

"I did, but, uh...Masato," says Serena, showing him her phone. "I don't think your sister is gonna like what she learns…"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Back at the duel, Haruka looks up at the dragon and gulps. She practically knows every Blackwing card that has been made, but she definitely has never heard of this one before!

"And now," Crow chuckles, eyes glowing madly like twin suns. "I haven't even gotten to my dragon's special ability. But in order to do so, I'm gonna need some help.

"So first, I'm gonna bring back Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite from my graveyard by taking Breeze the Zephyr back into my hand!"

The red-orange Blackwing monster jumps back into Crow's hand as a new humanoid Blackwing monster emerges, with blue feathers as hair, a navy blue shirt and pants, and a strange white plague doctor's mask. His 'hands' are skeletal and he looks ready to slice Haruka's head clean off. (1600 ATK)

"Wait, why summon him?" asks Haruka. "You lose 400 lifepoints when you bring him back from the graveyard!"

As she says this, Zephyros strikes Crow in the arm, but the Blackwing duelist doesn't wince in pain at all. Rather, it's like he _enjoys_ it, judging by the sick grin on his face.

 **(Haruka: 200) - - - - - - - (Crow: 7900)**

Then, Haruka notices Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon covered in a black aura, and something in her gut tells her that it's a bad sign.

"Surprised?" asks Crow with a sneer. "You should be. Should I take damage, I can send the top five cards to the graveyard. And if a monster was sent to the grave, he gains 400 Attack points! So let's take a look…"

He takes the top five cards from his deck and stares at them. Then, he cackles as he shows them to Haruka; all five of them are monsters (but, thankfully, none of them are those who have effects that activate in the graveyard).

Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon roars as his attack shoots straight to 3200, but Wheel of Prophecy stands tall all the same.

"Oh and I forgot to mention something," says Crow. "When Oroshi is sent to the graveyard because of a Synchro Summon, then I get to change the attack position of one of your monsters!"

Haruka grimaces as Spellbook Magician of Prophecy suddenly closes his book shut and looks up. The magician's eyes widen in horror at the monsters standing in front of him. (800 ATK)

"And don't forget Nothung's effect! Now I decrease the attack and defense of Wheel of Prophecy by 800!"

Wheel of Prophecy pants for breath, sweat falling from his brow. (3000/1700 -) 2220/900)

"And this is the end!" Crow booms. "Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon, destroy that pathetic sorcerer!"

The dragon opens its mouth, a large black and red orb of energy forming in its beak. As it charges, Haruka looks at her hand.

 _What do I do?_ She asks. _I don't know anything about how he got into Wonderland, and asking him about his monsters isn't going to help me out. What_ happened _to him?_

 _Haruka!_

Haruka blinks as she hears her brother's voice in her head.

 _Masato! What's going on? What did you find out?_

 _Serena just got a message from Hikari about what happened to Crow._ Masato begins. _But, well...there's…_

 _Masato, what happened to Crow? How did he get to Wonderland?_

 _Haruka...Crow's dead._

And there, Haruka's heart nearly stops beating. She tries to press on the brakes of her D-Wheel, only to find that they don't work. But that is the last thing on her mind at this point.

 _Masato..._ Haruka begins. _Stop kidding around. There...there is_ no possible way _that Crow Hogan is dead. He...we just saw him and the rest of Team Satisfaction a few weeks ago! Millefeui and Kanata went to get their autographs for my birthday! He...he's not...there's…_

 _I wish I was joking!_ Masato exclaims, his voice on the verge of crying. _But Hikari somehow was able to find a memory of Crow where he shot himself in the head. And that's not all, the rest of Team Satisfaction are…_

 _Masato, save this conversation for later._ Haruka interrupts, gritting her teeth. _I have a duel to finish._

"ATTACK!" Crow shouts.

Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon fires its attack on Spellbook Magician of Prophecy, only for it to be deflected by a barrier.

"WHAT?!" Crow shouts. "Defense Draw?!"

The attack disappears as the famous Trap Card appears behind the white magician, who can only sigh in relief. Haruka pants for breath, resisting the urge to cry as her brother's words ring in her mind and she draws a card.

 _Crow Hogan is dead...Crow "The Bullet" Hogan is dead...Crow Hogan of Team Satisfaction is_ dead...

She grips onto the handlebars of Pixie Dust as she turns to Wheel of Prophecy. Whenever she has doubts about something, her cards would tell her the way, and they have never steered her wrong.

And, deep down, she honestly hopes that her brother was absolutely lying about this.

But then again, Masato would never lie about such things. In fact, she can count on one hand how many times Masato has actually downright lied or played a mean prank on her with his ice abilities.

So...could that mean...

Haruka shakes her head as Crow signals the end of his turn. She then draws a card from her hand and stares at what is in front of her: Emperor of Prophecy, a second Spellcaster, two Spellbook cards and the utterly useless Desert Sunlight.

 _Here goes..._ she thinks, drawing her card.

"First, I place Spellbook Magician of Prophecy in Defense Mode…" Haruka begins.

The boy mage opens his book and starts reading once more. (400 DEF)

"And then, I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" says Haruka. "And I'm using it to destroy my Spellbook Star Hall!"

"What?!" asks Crow. "You're destroying your own Spell Card?"

"I have to! When Spellbook Star Hall is destroyed while it has Spell Counters on it, I can take a Spellcaster monster from my deck to my hand with a level equal or less than than the number of Spell Counters on it!"

The tornado forms and wraps itself around Spellbook Star Hall before shattering it, decreasing the attacks of Prophecy monsters by 300. (Spellbook Magician: 500 ATK, Wheel: 1900 ATK)

"But that gives you a monster with a Level of 3 or less!" Crow exclaims. "What the hell can you do with that weak of a magician?"

Haruka stays quiet (not wanting to note how hypocritical his statement is) as she notes the specific cards she can take to her hand on the display of her visor. A certain Spellcaster catches her eye.

 _Hey!_ She thinks. _That's the card Masato gave me for Valentine's Day! I think I know what to do now!_

The card pops out of her Duel Disk and she quickly takes it into her hand.

"Now I play the monster I obtained face-down, along with a face-down card," says Haruka, watching as two face-down cards appear on the field. "And then, I play my Spellbook of Power to boost Wheel of Prophecy's attack by 1000 this turn!"

A Spellbook the color of magma appears in Wheel of Prophecy's open hand. The Spellcaster reads through it before it disappears and his attack strength rises. (1900 -) 2900 ATK)

"Now when Wheel of Prophecy attacks and destroys a monster this turn, I can take a 'Spellbook' card to my hand. And I see a monster that will be perfect for this.

"Go Aslan, attack Zephyros the Elite with Warlion Warswing!"

 _Again with alliteration..._ Wheel of Prophecy snarls, but he complies and swings his weapon round and round before throwing it at Zephyros, who doesn't even react before he is destroyed nor how Haruka takes another Spellbook card to her hand.

 **(Haruka: 200) - - - - - - - (Crow: 6600)**

"Did you forget my dragon's effect?" says Crow. "Now that I took damage, I can send the top five cards of my deck…"

"And if any of them are monsters, your dragon gains 400 attack points," Haruka finishes. "Yeah, I don't really care about that right now."

Crow clicks his teeth as he draws five cards and shows them to Haruka; this time, only three are monsters.

Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon roars as its attack score grows once more. (3200 -) 3600 ATK)

"I end my turn," says Haruka. "But, I still have one question."

"What's that?"

Haruka bows her head. "Crow...are you really alive?"

At this, Crow blinks as he looks at Blackbird before he gazes at Haruka.

"Of course I'm alive!" he exclaims. "Why the hell would you say such a stupid question?"

"...I'm just wondering," says Haruka, staring at Spellbook Magician of Prophecy. Whenever she sees the monster, she sees her little brother in it. How bright, insightful and resourceful he can be…

It makes only learning the possibility that Crow Hogan is dead that much worse.

"I end my turn there," she says. "Make your move."

"Gladly," says Crow, drawing his card. "And now, here is the end. Nothung..."

Nothung strikes Wheel of Prophecy with another bolt of lightning that causes the proud Spellcaster to nearly collapse. (1900/900 -) 1100/100)

 _Haruka!_ Masato screams in his sister's mind. _You have to do something! You're going to lose and then we'll never free Crow!_

 _Trust me on this._ Haruka replies. _I know what I'm doing._

 _But even if you win this duel, you won't make Crow remember his past._

 _I'll think about it after I win._ Haruka answers. _Now, watch as I make sparks fly!_

Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon opens its mouth as he charges another attack at Wheel of Prophecy all while Crow laughs once more, sounding like a raven in flight.

"This is it!" Crow exclaims. "Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon, bring me victory!"

The massive dragon fires its attack all while Haruka smirks.

"I activate my face-down card, Desert Sunlight!" she says.

Haruka's card flips over, revealing the desert sun shining down on a nomad leading his camel towards the Abu Simel temple.

"This card flips all of my monsters into face-up Defense Mode and now I'm about to show you a monster that will bring about your end of days!"

As Wheel of Prophecy drop to one knee (100 DEF), Haruka's face-down monster flips over, revealing a young boy wearing an orange shirt topped with a red shawl, cream pants, brown slippers and a saffron colored turban covering his head. He blows into a red and gold double flute, his cheeks swelled up like balloons. (1500 DEF)

"What?" Crow exclaims. "What is that?"

Haruka smiles. "This is Apprentice Piper! And when he's flipped, his effect activates! Time for you to pay my Piper!"

Apprentice Piper plays a few notes in his flute to the tune of "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands" as Haruka grins.

"Now I get to Special Summon a monster from my hand! And the card I choose is my most powerful one. Behold and bask in the glow of the _World of Prophecy_!"

Haruka plays her card as light fills the racetrack, causing Crow to wince and everyone else to look in awe.

In a beautiful display of rainbow lights, an angelic figure descends onto the field. It is dressed in white robes with blue and gold trim, with two large white feathery wings folded over the gown. Behind his shoulders are four more wings that act like an extended collar of the outfit. Their eyes are the color of stars as they stretch their arms out over the field. (2900 ATK)

The three other Spellcasters look at World of Prophecy with awe before the Light Spellcaster turns to May.

 _What's wrong?_ They ask, their voice neither of a man nor a woman. _Aren't you happy to see me?_

Haruka looks back at World of Prophecy. "I am, Islington. It's just...what my brother said...is it...is it true?"

World of Prophecy hums before closing their eyes. _What is true and what is not true depends on who wants to believe in it. Truth isn't absolutely concrete, especially in a land like this._

"That's not answering my question," Haruka replies, just as both Pixie Dust and Blackbird pass the startling line again.

 _If I answer that question, will it affect the outcome of this duel?_

"Well, no, but…"

 _One thing at a time. And know this..._ World of Prophecy's stoic face turns into a comforting smile. _Team Satisfaction do have the best interests at heart._

Haruka nods her head as she looks at Crow, looking in awe at World of Prophecy as he just saw God in front of his eyes.

"If you're done gawking," she notes. "I can activate World of Prophecy's effect."

World of Prophecy closes their eyes and raises their hands into the air. Two Spellbooks circle their hands as their wings stretch out, shedding a storm of white feathers across the field.

"When World of Prophecy gets Special Summoned by the effect of either a Spellbook or Spellcaster, I can take two Spellbook cards from my graveyard back to my hand.

"And then, if I happen to have four Spellbook cards in my hand, World of Prophecy destroys all other cards on the field. And would you look at that? With what I added from the graveyard, I have the four I need to end this duel!"

Crow gasps as two more Spellbooks float above World of Prophecy, the orbs on their covers glowing like stars, causing the monsters on Crow's side of the field to sweat in fear.

"There's the nuclear bomb in her deck," Serena mumbles, knowing how this will end.

"Spellbook of Fate, Spellbook of Secrets, Spellbook of Life and Spellbook of Power…" Haruka chants. "Unleash your arcane magic upon the field and bring out the World's unlimited might!"

The books open as World of Prophecy lifts their head to the air, absorbing the magic within these tomes before they bring their arms out and the remaining monsters on the field look in alarm.

"And here we go…" Haruka inhales. "FLOCK OFF, FEATHER FACE!"

A massive orb of light envelops World of Prophecy as Crow screams at the searing light that seems to burn his skin and causing the audience to turn away. The light envelops the entire field before it is sucked back into the hands of the lone Prophecy monster, leaving the rest of the field completely empty.

"And I think…" Haruka smirks. "That was your turn, right?"

Crow looks up, wincing slightly. For the second time, Haruka thinks she sees his eyes turn black.

"Yeah," he says. "But from the looks of it, you only have that one monster to attack with."

Haruka draws her card. "Do I? Time for me to raise the dead! I play Spellbook of Life!"

The Equip Spell Card appears, depicting Temperance of Prophecy with a book in front of her while the image of Divine Grace - Northwemko watching from above.

"By Banishing a Spellcaster from my graveyard, I can resurrect another one with the added bonus of it adding the Level of my Banished monster. So now I Banish Stoic of Prophecy to Special Summon Wheel of Prophecy once more!"

Emerging with a roar is Wheel of Prophecy, once again brandishing his shield with the sharp blades in his hands. (LV: 8 -) 9, 2700 ATK)

"And then, I'm gonna give him a power boost once more with Spellbook of Power!"

The red Spellbook appears in front of Wheel of Prophecy once more, who quickly reads through it before glowing with a burning aura. (2700 -) 3700 ATK)

"And your fate has been decided!" Haruka exclaims. "Wheel of Prophecy, World of Prophecy...attack directly and grant me victory!"

Wheel of Prophecy hurls his weapon towards Crow as World of Prophecy fires a beam of light at the shield, empowering it. It hits Crow, and his D-Wheel head on as his lifepoints plummet to zero.

 **(Haruka: 200) - - - - - - - (Crow: 0)**

Both D-Wheels begin to slow down as Haruka returns her cards to her deck, as she realizes just what happened.

She did it...she just defeated Crow Hogan of Team Satisfaction in a duel…Crow "The Bullet" Hogan lost to her...Princess of Prophecy...

She looks at her hands in shock and disbelief before she places them on her face, opens her mouth and screams.

"AHHHH!"

The scream catches everyone's attention as they rush towards Haruka letting out a loud victory screech. Haruka gasps for air and her mouth turns into a large grin like one the Cheshire cat wears.

"I did it! I won!" she cheers as she hops off of Pixie Dust and rejoins her friends. "Did you see that maneuver? I was like _Whoosh_! And then I was down to 200 lifepoints, and then I had Apprentice Piper and the Desert Sunlight card I thought would be a liability bring out World of Prophecy and…" She squeals. "That was the most _amazing thing ever_!"

Her dolls hop off of their perches and tackle Haruka onto the ground, tickling her. Cloth Crow, however, sits on Masato's shoulder, mewing quietly as he sees his bigger self approach them. Masato also looks nervous.

"Oh Masato!" says Haruka. "Hand me my satchel, okay? I wanna take a photo!"

Reluctantly, Masato gives his sister her satchel as she searches for her phone. Then, she turns it on, places it on the camera app and grins while three Cloth Dolls perch on her shoulders.

"Say 'Crowley'!" she says as she wraps her arms around Crow tight. She then presses a button on her phone and takes the photo before she practically tackles Crow to the ground.

"That was amazing, so amazing, I can't believe that happened…" Haruka babbles. "I just defeated you and saw your awesome Blackwing monsters and...and…"

But in the midst of the celebration, she notices something...off.

"Wait a second…" Haruka says, pressing her ear near Crow's chest. Her eyes widen in horror when she doesn't hear anything. "You...you don't have a heartbeat!" She places two fingers on the back of Crow's wrist but feels nothing. "You don't have a _pulse_! That...that can't be possible. How can you be…"

A vine latching around her ankle prevents her from finishing that question. Haruka can only scream as the vine drags her deep into a dark patch of woods that manifests near the Caucus Racetrack…

Or rather, the Caucus Racetrack, and its spectators, begin to fade away to reveal the group now lost in the woods.

"Haruka!" Masato exclaims.

Clutching the snowflake pendant over his heart, he brings the other arm out and watches as a blast of icy wind freezes the vine. Haruka raises a fist as a red fiery circle manifests, which she brings down on the frozen vine, shattering it before standing up.

"What the heck was that?" asks Haruka, looking around. "That's not part of Wonderland!"

And then a large number of thorny vines rise from the woods. Haruka only has a chance to turn around before they wrap around legs and begin dragging her into the forest before anyone can grab her hand. The three Cloth Dolls that were with her try to flee, but they too are entangled by the vines, mewling and crying for someone to save them before they are also swallowed by the darkness.

"Haruka!" Masato screams, watching his sister be dragged into the dark woods.

Serena looks at the remaining Cloth Doll on Masato's shoulder and, with an apology, picks the doll and hurls him towards the real Crow Hogan. Crow instinctively catches the doll…

But the second they make contact, he can feel a searing pain in his head, like a bullet has just penetrated his skull. He grunts and places a hand over his right eye as the markings on his face are dyed the color of blood. Cloth Crow mews in pain, feeling like he's being split in two.

"What the…" Serena gasps before staring at her cellphone. Her eyes widen at the message, sent by none other than Hikari herself.

-Did you do what I said? If you did, then you might wanna keep Crow tied up for a while. It's not gonna be pretty.-

Just before Serena can ask why, she turns to see Crow drops to his knees, groaning in pain as he opens his eyes, which are now as black as the night sky. He drops Cloth Crow to the ground as he clutches his head in agony.

"Serena, what's going on?" asks Millefeui, taking the frightened doll into her arms, cradling him like he is a baby.

"Make sure that Crow doesn't go anywhere," Serena answers. "This is gonna get ugly."

Meanwhile, Crow gasps for air like a fish out of water. Tears form in his eyes as his traditional outfit transforms into a black robe trimmed with green.

"My King…" he says, staggering towards an invisible figure. "The mission...how...how could I have _forgotten_?"

"What mission?" asks Kanata. "What's going on, Crow Hogan?"

But Crow doesn't hear her, and instead staggers towards the Blackbird D-Wheel, hand still on his forehead. Unfortunately, just as he places a hand on it, the bike vanishes and is replaced with a large tree, its bark the color of charcoal.

Undeterred, Crow decides to run through the woods, only for a whip to wrap around his waist before hurling him to another tree. He looks up as Kanata recalls Zoodiac Whiptail.

"What the hell?!" Crow grunts, struggling to stand up. "I have to go! Jack, Yusei, Kiryu... they're out there somewhere!"

"You're not going anywhere until we get some answers," says Millefeui, summoning a monster. "Butlerusk…"

A butler in a black suit appears by his master's side. He pulls out a selection of table knives from his sleeves and throws them at Crow, pinning him to the tree. As the red-haired Team Satisfaction member starts pulling the knives off of him, Kanata summons Zoodiac Thoroughblade, who points his weapon at Crow's neck.

"Like my sister said, you're not going anywhere until we get some answers," says Kanata as Serena and Masato also prepare to summon a monster or two. "So start talking, or we'll all have to _make you_."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Noah...that...that was so terrifying."

"Shh, it's okay. Alice, you're fine."

Alice pants for breath as she holds onto Noah tightly. After the vines appeared, Noah dragged her off to safety, even as Haruka screamed for someone to save her.

Yet, something about Haruka...the way she summoned that magic seal…

"Noah…" Alice whispers. "I...I think I remember something…"

"Really?" asks Noah. He looks around; no one has followed them yet. Good.

Alice nods her head. "I...I think I saw that seal before...and I...I wasn't dressed like this…" She looks off into the distance as she feels a memory resurface. "I was...not here...but it looked like Wonderland."

"That can't be right," Noah muses, grey eyes looking behind him. "No, there's only one Wonderland...there's only one. Alice…"

Alice turns back to Noah, amethyst eyes widening in realization as she places her hands on her head, wincing as a memory forms.

"I...I…" she states, shaking her head. "No, this isn't...I'm not…"

Suddenly, Noah embraces her, stroking her black hair with his hand. He sighs as he grips onto Alice tighter.

"It's okay," he soothes. "They aren't real...this is real. I am real...you're okay...I promise."

"N...no…" Alice mutters weakly, feeling tired. "I...I know…"

" _I_ know," Noah insists, squeezing his eyes shut. "I know the truth, so trust in me."

"No…" Alice whispers before she falls into slumber. Noah then snarls as he carries Alice in his arms once more, walking down the forest trail with determination in his eyes.

 _Those five are going to be the death of me._ He thinks. _Thank goodness for the Black Rose Witch back there. Hopefully, she'll be the one to keep them trapped in Wonderland forever._

 _I'm not letting you go, Alice. I need you and I know that you need me too._

 _And no one will separate us. I promise you that._

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Masato: Haruka, no!**

 **Kanata: Okay, that wasn't part of Wonderland at all!**

 **Crow: We have to get her out of there and quick. Or else.**

 **Serena: Or else what? Better yet, I don't think I want to know.**

 **Crow: Trust me, there's more to Wonderland then what Lewis Carroll wrote. And the next Faller in our path proves it.**

 **Millefeui: It's about time I get in on the fun! Next time, 7th Dream, "Lovers End".**

 **Haruka: Guys, you better hurry...I think that** _ **thing**_ **wants to eat me!**


	8. Lovers End

_One of the Trap cards displayed (You know the one when you see it) will be using its anime effect, rather than the one in real life. Just to let those know._

* * *

 _ **You know, it's tough being a girl in the world of Duel Monsters.**_

 _ **You have people question the deck you use, particularly if it pertains to an all female archetype (like Harpies, Amazoness, Melodious and more), or cute cuddly beasts, fairies, mermaids and all of those cards based on toys marketed for girls that immediately label you as a girl for using**_ **that** _**kind of deck.**_

 _ **(And yes, I get the rights to call out on this due to the type of cards I use in a duel. Call me a hypocrite, but I'm an honest one.)**_

 _ **Perhaps the girl in question is cooed at because they look so "cute" and are just trying out a Duel Disk for fun, or they get cat calls from men who want to appreciate how a girl looks more than how they play the game.**_

 _ **And then there are people who think that female duelists can easily get their asses handed to them by men who have more money, more time and more skill in dueling than their female counterparts. Or the girl in question has an older brother who would rather let their little sister play princess instead of being their own knights in shining armor, capable of dueling on their own. Or, perhaps they are trying to find their "Duelmate", a term of two duelists being romantically together, and don't care about the idea of dueling than they are marrying a duelist of great prestige and being shown off as a trophy instead of a human being.**_

 _ **I once had an experience with a boy (Name withheld) who took one look at my deck and said that beating me would be a piece of cake, laughing at his joke as if he was the funniest person on the planet.**_

 _ **(And I swear, if I received a macaron for**_ **every single time** _**I heard that phrase in regards to my deck or while dueling, I would be giving out samples for a week!)**_

 _ **The beatdown my monsters gave him convinced him otherwise.**_

 _ **Not to mention there was the time someone had the audacity of telling me that I was better off with someone else instead of Serena due to how our personalities clashed (when in reality, they wanted to be Serena's Duelmate) and that ended with Serena beating them and stating that**_ **no one** _**was to ever initiate a break-up like that ever again.**_

 _ **Seriously, girls have it rough in this world.**_

 _ **And while my next opponent isn't of the male gender, I**_ **could** _**relate to her situation of trying to be a strong female duelist…**_

 _ **If she hadn't been converted into a brainwashed puppet, that is.**_

 _ **Because while I appreciate strong women, I could care less about cultists...**_

 _ **And**_ **female** _**ones at that.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **7th Dream**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Lovers End**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _In the kitchen, Mitsuko hums a tune to herself as she opens the oven and a blast of hot air that smells like warm sugar and vanilla greets her. With oven mitts on, she pulls out a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip walnut oatmeal cookies, closes the oven and walks to the nearest counter…_

 _Where four little dolls happily await for a treat._

" _Cookies!" They cry as they stop what they are doing (playing tic-tac-toe) and watch as Mitsuko sets the tray down, their little eyes waiting for when they can eat one._

" _Ooh, Haruka would love this!" says Cloth Yusei, inching forward toward a cookie, only to have Cloth Kiryu snatch his hand away. "Hey!"_

" _You have to wait," Cloth Kiryu snickers. "Because the first cookie belongs to me!"_

" _No fair!" Cloth Crow pouts. "Who said that_ you _get the first bite?"_

" _I did of course!" Cloth Kiryu puffs his chest out proudly. "And after I'm done, then you could...hey!"_

 _Cloth Jack inches his hand towards a small piece of a cookie just begging to be eaten. Just before he can grab it, he is tackled by his fellow dolls and tickled all over._

" _Stop this!" Cloth Jack demands between laughs. "Your king commands it!"_

" _You and what army?" asks Cloth Yusei, ruffling the doll's blond hair._

" _The one that's standing above you," answers a voice._

 _The dolls look up to see Haruka and Masato standing above them, the four scrambling to their feet as they begin to ask questions about Haruka's day and the preparations for tomorrow's play at school. Haruka smiles and just pokes their stomachs before the quartet of dolls giggle in excitement._

" _Oh my!" says Mitsuko, seeing her children in front of her, Masato reaching out for a cookie, but has his hand smacked away by Cloth Kiryu wielding a spoon. "What are you all doing here?"_

" _We need to pick up our decks and Duel Disks," Haruka answers. "It's for something very important."_

" _Like what? Haruka, you know that Satisfaction Town has been closed for the past week or so."_

 _Haruka shakes her head; she duels at the famous bar once a month to take on newcomers and test her skills (and also because she is a fan of Team Satisfaction, hence the dolls that are spitting images of the four man team). "No, it's not about that. Seto Kaiba called us back at Millefeui and Kanata's apartment, and he wants all of us to meet him at the Black Forest Magic Shop."_

 _Mitsuko gasps, and not because her son has snatched two cookies (one for him, the other he splits into four pieces so the dolls can eat). "Why would he…"_

" _You know this place, don't you?" asks Haruka, not even letting her mom finish while she takes a cookie for herself._

 _Mitsuko nods her head, sighing in defeat. "Did Kaiba say anything else?"_

" _Only that Mokuba has gone missing," says Masato, taking a bite out of his cookie. The dolls also take bites, some having their mouths smeared with chocolate._

" _This must be serious if someone like Kaiba wants the help of a witch," Mitsuko murmurs. After a pause, she nods her head. "All right, then. If you two are needed, then I won't stop you."_

" _Really?" asks Haruka, just about to take a bite out of her cookie. "I mean, you almost stopped us from having that sleepover tonight."_

 _Mitsuko looks at her hands. "I can't explain it, but I have been sensing something off in regards to those coma incidents. Your father has also been worried about it too."_

 _At this, Haruka and Masato see their father in the dining room, concentrating on something on his laptop (or at least acting like he is, giving his children a swift glance before his eyes go back to the monitor)._

" _Just promise me that you'll use your magic if you have no other options," Mitsuko continues. "Bring any and all magic charms and potions that you have stockpiled and…" She smiles as she pulls out a wand out of thin air, waves it around some cookies, and watch as these treats float in the air and then become wrapped in a piece of clothing and tied with a ribbon._

" _Take these with you for the road, my treat." she says._

 _Haruka takes the bag, momentarily feeling the warmth of freshly baked cookies in her hands, before nodding her head._

" _Thanks Mom," she says, taking a bite out of the cookie in her hand. She then looks at her Cloth Dolls finishing their cookie. "Come on, you guys. We have a long night ahead of us."_

 _The dolls cheer as they leap onto Haruka's shoulders as she and Masato head toward their respective bedrooms. Once Mitsuko hears the doors close, she frowns, then walks towards Senri, who doesn't even look up as he states, "You're worried, I can tell."_

 _Mitsuko nods her head. "Haruka's skills in fire and fortune-telling has risen, and Masato's determination to grow has granted him his craft and magic circle earlier than expected. But I have heard from both Ayako and Saki that…" she smiles a bit. "Something wicked this way comes."_

 _Senri chuckles a bit before looking at the news article on his laptop. "These coma victims...most of them are just a little bit older than Haruka herself."_

" _And don't forget that Satisfaction Town has been closed after its owners suspiciously went on 'vacation'," Mitsuko's mouth forms a thin line as she adds, "Do you think Haruka is aware of them being…"_

 _Senri shrugs his shoulders. "I don't have any magic in my body, yet even_ I _can tell that these boys are hiding something. It's a good thing we don't tell Haruka of their…'charity work.'"_

 _Just then, Haruka and Masato enter the kitchen, bags ready and Duel Disks strapped on. They also wear pendants over their hearts: for Masato, his is an exact replica of the Medallion of the Ice Barrier, while Haruka's is based on the emblem of the Prophecy monsters-a fleur-de-lis inset with aquamarines. Haruka is wearing a black shirt with the outline of a crimson butterfly underneath a sleeveless tan vest trimmed with white faux fur and a patch over her heart showing four fists in a fist-bump while a pair of eyes look from above alongside a pair of biker shorts. Masato is wearing a blue magician's robe decorated with snowflakes._

 _The Cloth Dolls pop out of Haruka's satchel, saying hello and wave to the adults. Masato giggles and pokes them._

" _All right then!" says Haruka, pumping a fist in the air. "We're off."_

" _Hold up," says Mitsuko, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Haruka, can I see your phone?"_

" _Um, sure," says Haruka, pulling her phone out and admiring the phone case depicting a phoenix decal. "I have a backup charger just in case."_

" _I don't know where or what you'll encounter," says Mitsuko. "But just in case..."_

 _Something appears in her hand: a cellphone charm of a white orb with a six pointed star inside it. Then, like she is tying her daughter's shoelaces - something that she did until Haruka could proudly tie them at age 5 - she fastens the charm over a small loop in Haruka's cellphone._

" _Be extra careful, you two," says Mitsuko, her face serious. She then brightens up with a smile. "And promise to tell me everything when you get back!"_

" _We'll have to do so_ after _we re-enact our Adventures in Wonderland tomorrow_ ," _Masato chuckles. "Well, we gotta get going. See you later!"_

 _The two race off the way the entered the house, through the bathroom mirror, before Mitsuko sighs and clasps onto the pendant on her neck: a simple silver bell._

" _Please guide them safely, Hecate," she whispers. "Please protect my children from harm."_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Haruka groans as the smell of something sweet fills her lungs.

But it is not the smell of chocolate chip cookies; instead, the scent is that of roses.

Haruka slowly wakes up to find that it is dark outside. But, that can't be possible; she knows that it was bright and sunny back at the Caucus Race…

The Caucus Race! Memories flash in her mind as she sits up, a sprinkle of black rose petals falling around her as she makes note as to what happened. She dueled Crow, learned that he was dead, _defeated_ Crow and asked her brother to hand her her cellphone….

She looks at her right arm and gasps. Her phone is still in her hand, but her Duel Disk is gone! Where could it have…

Haruka then places a hand on her forehead. Of course; in her excitement of defeating Crow, she left it on Pixie Dust, thinking that she could get it out after a photo or three.

Great. Just great.

Sighing, Haruka then feels something poking her. She looks down and sees three familiar faces.

"Cloth Yusei, Cloth Jack, Cloth Kiryu!" she exclaims, taking them into her arms. "Oh thank goodness you guys are okay. What happened? Where are we?"

"We're in a garden!" says Cloth Kiryu, looking all around him. "A garden full of roses!"

"Roses?!" Haruka exclaims.

"Yeah, yeah!" Cloth Jack adds. "They're black like Cloth Yusei's hair! And they talk too!"

"Talk?" Haruka blinks. This isn't a good sign. "But roses aren't until we get to the Queen of Hearts...and talking flowers isn't for another book! Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes!" Cloth Yusei says, jumping up and down. "And look at that statue over there!"

He points toward a marble statue surrounded by thorny vines and blooming black roses. The statue looked like that of a faun, clutching onto a pair of panpipes in his hand.

For some reason, Haruka knows that this is familiar, but then her mind recalls something else.

"Guys, where's Cloth Crow?" she asks, looking all around her. "And, where is everyone else?"

The Cloth Dolls bow their heads as Haruka slowly stands up. Her right hand clutches over the fleur-de-lis pendant over her heart. Her left hand performing a series of gestures before a red magic circle materializes above it. She raises her hand all around her, the flowers of her seal magnifying their light when they near the roses, who seem to shrink in fear.

And as the flowers shrink, Haruka can hear their voices.

" _Save us!"_

" _Free us!"_

" _I want to go home!"_

" _Someone save us!"_

Haruka retracts her arm and the roses stop talking. The dolls inch backwards until they are by her shoes as they look around. Haruka then raises her hand into the air, the magic seal slowly spinning round and round like a halo above her head as she crushes it. Then, when she opens her hand, a swarm of red butterflies scatter into the air, each of them landing on a black rose who shriek in terror once again, each rose opening and closing like a mouth.

" _It hurts! It hurts!"_

" _Stop them!"_

" _Stop that witch!"_

" _KILL THE WITCH!"_

Haruka covers her ears with her hands and squeezes her eyes shut as one of the fiery butterflies lands on a black thorny branch that opens its yellow eyes.

Then, the thorny branch growls.

"Huh?" Haruka gasps. "W...what is that?"

The branch unleashes a roar, unfurling large rose petals wings that combust into magenta colored flames. It then lowers its gaze towards the young girl and opens its massive maw to reveal its pearly fangs.

"You have beautiful eyes…" Haruka whimpers clutching the dolls in her hands close.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"So Seto, let me get this straight," Siegfried says on his phone. "Instead of finding someone with experience in the Nightmare Realm, your great idea to free our brothers and everyone else who has fallen is to send _five children_ to Wonderland as a backup plan?! What type of credentials do they have for a mission such as this?"

This is the conversation Siegfried has on his cellphone, pacing in his office as Mache diligently combs through various tomes in regards to the nature of Wonderland, or anything similar to it. Siegfried pinches the bridge of his nose as he hears Seto answer.

"They all have expertise in dueling," Seto begins. "And have had encounters with the supernatural before. Two of them are witches, one has the ability to see shadows, one has faced a person contracted with a youkai and one is a skilled acrobat blessed by a Cait Sith."

"But that doesn't mean that they are ready to take on a task such as this!" Siegfried exclaims, slamming his hand on the desk. "If this menace was able to apprehend my own brother, how do we know that these children will make it?"

Seto pauses before answering, "Because I believe in them, and that should be enough. Now get going. I'm sending you an address and image of someone who contains a wealth of information in regards to the Nightmare Realm. Be careful, though. He tends to be quite of a...unique personality."

And the CEO hangs up. Siegfried looks at his phone as he sees the pop-up for a new text message before letting out a loud groan at who the person is.

"We're going to need more than love, trust and pixie dust for this, Kaiba," he notes. He looks up to see Mache with a book in her hands. "Did you find anything useful?"

Mache nods her head. "It's been a while since I did this, but I found an old book of protection spells that we can use for the time being." When she sees the frown on Siegfried's face, she leans towards him and kisses his cheek. "We'll save Leon, but right now, we have a job to do."

Siegfried nods his head, briefly glancing at the ring now on Mache's finger (has it only been a few hours ago since he proposed to her?) before he stares at the image of the person on his phone.

 _Fubuki Tenjoin..._ Siegfried thinks. _What makes you so amazing that Seto Kaiba has asked me to seek you out?_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Okay, this should do the trick.."

Risa Kageyama steps back as she looks through a small book in her hands. She takes a deep breath before she stares at her watch. At this point, her sisters should also be in position, ready for when everyone else involved in this mission has arrived.

A part of her can't believe it; after all this time, she and the rest of her sisters would finally get retribution on the head of the Arcadia Movement for ruining their lives.

Prior to Arcadia, she, Rise and Ritsu had a simple life with their parents, learning about their magical abilities. In witch culture, triplets are said to be a source of good luck...

Which meant that they were 'lucky' that they decided to come home two hours after their curfew to learn that their mother and father had died and their home was set on fire three years ago.

Without guidance from their parents, it became difficult for them to hone their magical talents. And at the Black Roses' Girls Academy, they became looked down upon for their "freaky" powers; not by the average rich girl and her posse…

But by the psychics that happened to also go to that school.

Witches and Psychics have always had an intense rivalry with one another; witches were well known and revered for their magic, while psychics have been persecuted by the masses. Witches are passed down by bloodline and have thriving communities, while psychics randomly pop out even from normal families and shunned by society.

And while psychics are skilled enough to levitate, teleport and even control minds if need be, witches are well known for their potions and curses.

So those psychics eventually had to 'leave' the school after some unfortunate catastrophes that involved the bus they were in to fall off a cliff, leaving no survivors.

It also helped that the triplets were quick to find Lily (or "Hecate") in her magic shop; with the Goddess of Witchcraft giving them personal lessons, the three would eventually be able to find the ones responsible for the deaths of their parents.

And that person is named Divine.

That name burns in Risa's heart just like the fire that burned her house down. The mere mention of his name and that of the Arcadia Movement makes her want to curse the entire building. But if there is one thing that she has learned in the arts of witchcraft is that witches take their time to enact their revenge, compared to the rash decision making of their psychics.

Speaking of psychics…

Risa sighs as she activates the Duel Disk strapped to her arm. "Come out of here right now."

A voice chuckles. "Fine, fine. So much for stealth."

Risa turns around, seeing a person ten feet away from her. They dress in the teal and blue robes of the Arcadia Movement with a matching Duel Disk strapped to their left arm. They are tale with red hair that reminds Risa of a flame, and fierce green eyes. The figure smirks.

"What's a witch like you doing here?" The person asks.

Risa narrows her eyes. "A witch can't look at her competition? I mean, at least the uniforms my sisters and I wear are combat ready!"

Risa's opponent frowns. "Well, let's see how 'combat-ready' you are when you get a taste of my deck."

Risa activates her Duel Disk. "Can I get a name at the very least?"

"Call me Eru, so named because I can hear you stomping around here before you and your sisters entered our domain."

"Well, I hope you hear this well. After I beat you, I'm going after your boss!"

"I like to see you try!" Eru boasts. "Come at me!"

"By the pricking of thy thumbs, something wicked this way comes." Risa chants as she draws her cards. "Let's duel!"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Okay," demands Serena, staring eye-to-eye with Crow. "Repeat to us everything that you just said."

Crow Hogan has his back against a large black tree. Flanking him are Zoodiac Thoroughblade and Madolche Chouxvalier. Serena has Ghostrick Stein by her side, cracking his knuckles and Masato has the card for Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier ready to be Synchro Summoned while Samurai of the Ice Barrier and Defender of the Ice Barrier protect their master.

"You seriously want me to repeat this?" Crow asks, still in the black robe with green trim. His black eyes stare at the four kids. "You were never supposed to be part of this in the first place."

"It's for my sister," says Masato, squeezing his eyes shut as he tries to form a mental connection with Haruka. When he hears nothing, he sighs. "She's gonna accept this sooner and later, and if the rest of Team Satisfaction is also trapped in Wonderland, the more info you can give, the better.

"Plus I already told her that you're dead and she checked your heartbeat and pulse. You can't lie to us anymore so spill."

Crow sighs. "All right, then. Five thousand years ago, Jack, Yusei, Kiryu and I were the Enforcers to the being that we call the Dark King of the Afterlife. He watched over the city of Hamunaptra, and we ensured order between those who lived and those who slumbered.

"I won't go into that story, but everything regarding us right now came about last October. Kiryu was going to end Magician Four's reign in Domino Below, but he ended up killed and revived by the Dark Signers. He learned of his mission, and…'coerced' Yusei to join him. Then, the two went to us."

"And that's why you killed yourself with a bullet to the brain?" asks Serena, showing Hikari's text on her cellphone to him.

"It was swift," Crow explains, recalling how he held that gun to his temple. He winces and shakes his head. "But back to our mission in Wonderland; we were tasked to figure out how the ruler of this world was trapping dreamers, or 'Fallers', and why they were doing so. To do so, we had to look like we were also some of the Fallen."

"Which is why you offered up your memories to an Egyptian rabbit goddess," says Kanata.

"And we would lie in wait until someone came to make us remember who we were. Unfortunately, we weren't expecting Wonderland's magic to mess up our minds that much."

"Where are the others then?" asks Millefeui.

Crow shrugs his shoulders. "I guess they're further down the line; Wonderland probably wanted us separated else we'd figure out something was wrong."

"...Well," says Serena. "I guess that's all we can get for the time being. We better head off right now before Haruka ends up being devoured by a dragon or something. Right, Masato? Um, Masato?"

Masato has been quiet the entire time, head hanging low, clenching his teeth as tears fall down his eyes. His medallion glows with a soothing white light.

Then, he stretches his arms out as six icicles, like the ones that surround General Grunard of the Ice Barrier, form and encircle him. Masato raises his head, eyes fresh with tears.

"Masato!" says Kanata. "What are you…"

Masato cries as he fires five icicles at Crow, three icicles piercing his stomach, one hitting his forehead, one going right for the groin and the last one…

Masato grabs onto it and stabs Crow in the chest over and over again, with Crow not even flinching from being pierced in very uncomfortable places that would kill a normal human being.

"Why...did...you... _do that_?!" Masato shouts, bringing the icy weapon down on Crow with each and every word. "This...this isn't right! My sister looks up to you, and now you've become…"

He doesn't finish as he drops to his knees, sobbing. The icicles vanish as he wipes the tears with the back of his hands. Millefeui drops down and hugs him.

"Why Crow?" Masato blubbers. "Why did you and the rest of Team Satisfaction have to do this?"

"Because…" Crow sighs as he pats Masato on the head. "If we want to bring about the Gates of Hamunaptra, the Dark King needs his loyal Enforcers to ensure that everyone will live in peace. If it means a sacrifice, or four, then we'd do it."

Masato sniffles some more as Millefeui rummages through Haruka's satchel and pulls out a box of tissues. Masato takes one and blows his nose into it.

"That doesn't sound like something Crow of Team Satisfaction would usually say," says Serena. "But now's not the time to think about this" She then looks at the message on her phone. "Okay, now let's see if I can send this."

She presses the Send button, but looks in confusion when the message isn't sent. "Huh?"

"What's up?" asks Kanata.

"I can't send a message to Hikari or Shooti," Serena explains, pressing the Send button a few more times. "But it worked when Haruka's phone was…" she looks up. "The charm...that thing must act like a magic Wi-Fi hotspot."

"What does that mean?" asks Millefeui.

"It means that we have no way to ask for info on any of those Fallers until we get to her, and that's only if her phone is either still intact or has battery left." Serena sighs, pocketing her phone. "Perfect."

"Then we better get going," says Millefeui, hugging onto Cloth Crow tight as the doll sniffles and cries out for his friends. She then notices something near her foot; a Duel Disk.

"This must be Haruka's," says Kanata, picking it up. She draws the first card and gasps when she sees it is High Priestess of Prophecy. "That's bad; she's defenseless out there!"

"What are we waiting for?" asks Masato, wiping the last of his tears away. He takes the Duel Disk from Kanata's hand and stuffs it into his sister's satchel. "Come on!"

"Hold on a second," says Crow, grabbing Masato's arm. "How do we even know where to look? We could search here forever and never find her!"

"Then how about we follow that?" asks Serena, pointing to the grass.

Everyone looks down and finds that amongst the grass, there is a long red line that leads deep into the forest. Serena kneels down and rubs her fingers through it. The red liquid is thick, but she knows that it is not paint. Rather, it is…

"Blood," Serena whispers. She stands up. "It looks like Haruka wasn't the first to be dragged off here."

"So...we just follow this into the woods with the chances of some serial killer waiting to hack us up into pieces awaits us?" says Millefeui.

"Seems like we have no choice," says Crow. "Come on, and stay close behind me. I can't guarantee for your safety if you wander off."

The four kids nod their heads as they recall their Duel Monsters. Then, they begin their trek, eyes following the glowing red path in front of them.

"This reminds me of that old poem, _Alice Human Sacrifice_ ," Serena notes. "Now, how did it go again? Oh yeah!

" _The first was a red-haired warrior_

 _With a sword in hand_

 _She became the first Alice_

 _To enter Wonderland_

" _With every person that she met_

 _She turned and slayed them dead_

 _For every person that she slew_

 _Her steps were painted red_

" _The red haired sword wielder_

 _who brought much fear and dread_

 _Soon was caught and then became_

 _Caged by the woods instead_

" _If it weren't for the path of blood_

 _Which made others scream in fear_

 _No one would have ever known_

 _That she was even here."_

Millefeui shivers. She can feel the air becoming slightly cooler with every step. How she wishes that Haruka's satchel comes with a thermos, or four, of hot soup.

"So," says Crow. "Have you figured out how this world works yet?"

"From what we learned, we need three things to save a Faller," says Serena. "We need the person's true name, discover their most important card and/or destroy their key monster, and find a memory that is associated with the two.

"For Hayato Maeda, his most precious card was Ayers Rock Sunrise as it related to the relationship with his father. And for Ryoji Kajiki, the memory was also associated with his father and the monster in question was The Legendary Fisherman III.

"So, going by that logic, your memory had to be when you and your friends became some sort of cult and your strongest monster was that Blackfeather Darkrage Dragon. Am I wrong?"

Crow shakes his head. "No you're not. But without a way to send messages until we rescue Haruka, it'll make it difficult to discover what memory is needed to awaken them."

"Say Crow," says Kanata. "Do you happen to at least remember who else has entered here?"

Crow shakes his head. "I was mostly stuck at the Caucus Race. So unless someone was actually there to watch me race against an invisible opponent, I don't have a clue as to-"

"Look! There's someone up ahead!"

Masato's voice causes everyone to follow him until they see a figure tending to some of the roses. They are female with dark blond hair that falls to her waist and in a hairstyle that made her look like a female Seto Kaiba. She wears a white blouse with blue trim, blue fingerless gloves, a blue skirt with a cyan belt and matching blue boots. Strapped to her left arm is a blue and white Duel Disk and in her right hand is a pink watering can.

The girl hums a small song before she gasps and turns around. "Um, hi there. Who are you?"

"I'm Masato," Masato begins. "Um, listen. Have you seen a girl wearing a vest and black shirt come by here recently?"

The girl tilts her head as she looks at the roses. "No, it's only me and the roses."

"They're...pretty," says Kanta, looking at them. Something about them makes her uneasy as she leans close to one of them. She reaches out to pick one. "I see that you take good care of-"

"DON'T TOUCH THEM!" The girl screams, causing Kanata to jump. "I mean, please be careful with them."

"Why?" asks Serena, looking around. She feels like someone is observing them from the shadows. "And who exactly are you?"

Before the girl can open her mouth, Millefeui gasps.

"I know you," she says. "You are the so-called 'Madonna' of ISDC. The 'Blue Fairy' fawned by all the boys for your beauty and skill. The same one who recently dueled Hikari in a match between our schools.

"Your name…is Asuka Tenjoin!"

Alexis's eyes widen before she places a hand over one of them and they glaze over. She lowers her hand and sways slightly.

But instead of clarity forming her mind, she snarls.

"That is not my name," she states. "My name is Alexis Rhodes, and I guard the way to the Black Rose Witch, so that no one can disturb her."

"We have to go there!" Masato exclaims. "My sister's been captured by her!"

"I have orders from my Mistress to ensure that the roses are tended to." Alexis replies. "And I have word from the King that you've been delving too deep into business not your own."

"King? What do you mean by…" Serena pauses as the image of a green haired boy appears in her mind. She snarls. "Noah…"

"Wait, that kid?" asks Crow. "You've seen him?"

"Yeah," says Kanata. "He has Mokuba think he's Alice Liddell; he must've skedaddled after those vines kidnapped Haruka."

"We can think about him later," says Masato, hand over his medallion. "We have to get through Alexis first. And she's not gonna do it the easy way."

"Well, if that's the case," says Millefeui, placing Cloth Crow into her sister's hands before stepping forward. "Then it looks like we're doing this the hard way." Her Duel Disk activates as she adds, "Duel me, 'Empress of Tomorrow', and let me see if you're actually as good as you _think_ you are."

"Fine by me," says Alexis, also activating her Duel Disk. She sets her watering can down as she adds, "Get your game on!"

"Woman up!" Millefeui replies. "Let's duel."

 **(Millefeui: 8000) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 8000)**

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Back in the Ritual Room, Bel looks down at Crow's sleeping figure. Even after retrieving his memories, there is no sign of him waking up. He still looks like he is asleep (or rather, dead).

Shinji, in the meantime, stares at the Seal of Wenet, looking at his Bunilla card placed at the rabbit statue. Wenet decided to rest up after showing the memory of Crow, leaving the card behind. A part of him wants to take the card back, but he had no way to ask the bunny goddess.

"Wenet?" asks Shinji, lightly poking the rabbit figurine. "Um, since you already gave us Crow's memories, I really would like to have the card back. Are you in there? Hello?" He sighs when he receives no answer. "How are we gonna get her to come out of there?"

"I say we NINJA KICK THE DAMN RABBIT!" Jun exclaims from behind Shinji, mouth stretched into a manic grin. "Shooti, help me out here, why don't you!"

"I'm kinda busy at the moment," says Shooti, looking through some news articles on his phone.

"Ah, killjoy," says Jun, smirking. "Bet you're saving up all that energy for when you and Bel start playing paddy cake tonight under the covers, right?"

Shooti immediately looks up from his phone, face red. "Oh you did not just-" Jun quickly tackles Shooti onto the ground and the two get into a fist fight that dissolves into laughter. Reiji just rolls his eyes in annoyance as he and Shinji proceed to pull the two friends off of one another.

As this goes on, Hikari looks through the comments section for her _Dawn of the Duel_ blog on her phone. She raises her eyebrow at a particular one.

 **From: Specter**

 **Not bad from a rising star. "The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step", and you have taken quite a giant step against that Cryptids duelist.**

 **If you are free tonight, I have a request for you that, in exchange, will give you what you truly desire.**

 **Retribution.**

 **I know you have a bone to pick with the Crimson Signers, and for your hatred towards** _ **Chasing Shadows**_ **..but I know that your talents can be used for something more.**

 **As a big fan of yours, I only wants what is best. So don't hesitate to respond to the email that I am forwarding to you in a few minutes. It will benefit us both in the end.**

 **Until then, Lady Platina.**

"Hikari? Are you even listening?"

"Hm?" says Hikari, looking up to see Shooti approach her. "What's going on, Shooti?"

"Signal's jammed," says Shooti, looking at his empty phone. "Something must've happened to either Haruka or Serena to prevent us from sending messages to one another. And without them, we can't deliver messages as to help free whoever else has fallen."

"Well, who was the next person you were going to check out?"

"This one," Shooti answers, pulling out a piece of paper from the sleeve of his cloak. "See for yourself."

Hikari looks through the paper and sees there are now two checkmarks on the list (one for Hayato and the other for Ryoji). The third name catches her eye.

"Oh, I know them!" she says. "The 'Blue Angel' of DCIS vs the 'Blue Fairy' ISDC months ago was a huge hit! Of course, we all know who won _that_ little bout."

"Yet you fell flat on your face against crystal boy," Jun mutters, rubbing his cheek.

"That's besides the point!" Hikari exclaims, fuming. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go and…"

"We can't," Bel interrupts, looking at her hummingbird mark flickering on her arm. "None of us have an image as to where Asuka Tenjoin lives, and, what's worse, Aslla piscu doesn't want me or anyone associated with the Dark Signers, entering that place."

"Ascilla who?" Hikari asks, tilting her head.

"The Earthbound Immortal responsible for why Bel and I are here right now," Shooti answers. "But why would Aslla piscu not want us going there?"

"...because she senses the Crimson Dragon Signers also heading there," Bel answers, her voice laced with anger. "And they would have already prepared a barrier around them so we cannot _interfere_!"

As she says this, she grips onto her head and throws herself onto the ground, hissing and snarling at anyone who gets close to her. Shooti, however, just kneels down and hugs her until she calms down.

"Crimson Dragon…" Hikari whispers, pulling up a news article from long ago on her phone. "Those guys are also in on this?"

"Unfortunately," Reiji sighs. "But this does make things difficult if we can't go."

"Then send us in your place," Shinji suggests. "Hikari and I can make your jobs easier if we can go to Asuka's apartment and see what we can dig up."

"Are you sure?" asks Bel, feeling her Earthbound Immortal's rage pounding in her skull. "They can sense the presence of a Dark Signer from a mile away."

"I'm sure they'll understand that we're all united under the same cause in stopping these comas," says Hikari, placing her phone in her satchel. "Now come on, let's see who we're dealing with."

Shooti helps Bel stand up, draping an arm over her shoulder. Bel then raises an arm into the air and a black portal appears on the wall. Hikari and Shinji nod their heads as they approach it, with Shinji turning back to look at his brother's face, as if this is the last time they'll see each other.

"Go," Reiji commands in a firm tone before cracking a small smile. "Find what you can, little brother."

Shinji pauses before he smiles back. "I will."

He then enters the portal and follows after Hikari toward their next destination. But as they leave, Jun realizes something.

"Hey Shooti," he says. "You've never told anyone about the Crimson Signers at _Chasing Shadows_ , right?"

"No," Shooti answers. "Why do you ask?"

"Then how exactly does Hikari know about them?" he asks.

Shooti pauses as the portal vanishes. "I...I have no idea."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"That's odd," says Serena, observing Millefeui looking at her cards. "Millefeui noted her name but Asuka didn't react to it at all."

"That's because we have no idea what caused her to fall in the first place," says Kanata. "And without Haruka's phone, we won't be able to ask for information."

"Ah. Say, Kanata?"

"Yeah?"

"Remind me to slap Haruka across the head for what she did. There's no time to be taking selfies with your celebrity crush when your best friend has gotten an identity crisis."

"Agreed."

"Since you entered my domain, I get the first move," says Alexis, drawing a card. "First off, I play the Spell Card, The A. Forces!"

The Spell Card appears, showing a variety of warriors charging into battle.

"Now as long as this card is on the field, all Warrior monsters I control gain an additional 200 attack points for every Warrior and Spellcaster monsters I have on the field."

 _Not good._ Millefeui thinks. _And if I know Asuka, her deck is based on the Cyber Girls, an archetype that is solely_ based _on Warriors._

"And next," Alexis continues. "I summon Etoile Cyber in Attack Mode!"

The warrior emerges, a girl with blue skin, dressed in a red suit that covers her from neck to toe alongside red gloves. Her brown chestnut hair falls to her waist and covering her right eye is a red silk eyepatch while ribbons are wrapped around her hands. (1200 -) 1400 ATK)

"Since this is the first turn, I can't attack. So I'll place one card face-down and end my turn."

"All right then," says Millefeui, drawing a card. "Let's change the scenery, shall we? I play Madolche Chateau!"

Soon, the woods becomes replaced by a lovely estate where a large mansion made out of layers and layers of delicious cake, chimney stacks made of pudding, and roof tiles of chocolate materializes. The place smells of warm sugar and fondant.

"And as long as this fancy place is on the field, I can send any 'Madolche' monsters who are to be shuffled into my deck into my hand instead. Plus, all 'Madolche' monsters on the field gain an extra 500 attack and defense points.

"But for now, I play one card face-down and end my turn."

Alexis draws her card. "I'm not into sweets, so let's see what happens when my Mystical Space Typhoon blows it away!"

A whirlwind blows and strikes the cake manor, chunks of holographic cake tumbling down before the woods comes back into view.

"Next, I summon Command Knight in Attack Mode!"

A warrior in red armor and a raccoon hat emerges, brandishing her shield against Millefeui and her face-down card. (1200 -) 1600 ATK)

"Not only does Command Knight gain 400 attack points due to The A. Forces, but her effect grants all Warrior monsters I control an additional 400 attack points!"

Millefeui frowns as she sees both warriors with 2000 ATK.

"Now Etoile Cyber," says Alexis. "Destroy that face-down card!"

Etoile Cyber leaps into the air, performing a diving kick at Millefeui's monster. The card flips over, revealing a woman dressed as a maid with short orange hair and equally orange eyes, sitting on the rim of a large jar of marmalade and holding a thin black book in her hands. (2000 DEF)

"Sorry," says Millefeui. "But it seems that my Madolche Marmalmaide is a bit too much for your dancer, isn't she? When you flipped her over, I get to return the Madolche Chateau card you destroyed back into my hand."

A card pops out of Millefeui's graveyard, which she adds to her hand.

"And, I'll dish out some more pain with my trademark Madolche Waltz!"

The first of Millefeui's face-down cards flips over, revealing Madolche Puddingcess happily dancing with a flustered Madolche Chouxvalier while music notes float around them.

"Whenever a Madolche monster attacks, or is attacked, you lose 300 lifepoints. It's small, but so is a pinch of sugar to sweeten a bitter tea."

Madolche Marmalmaide spins around before lifting a leg to block the kick from Etoile Cyber. Alexis flinches as she sees the Madolche Waltz card glow.

 **(Millefeui: 8000) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 7700)**

"I end my turn with a face-down card," says Alexis, playing a card in her Duel Disk. "Your move."

"All right then," says Millefeui, drawing a card. "Let's bring back Madolche Chateau once more!"

The magnificent cake manor rises again as Madolche Marmalmaide closes her book with a sigh. (800/2000 -) 1300/2500)

"Then I play Dark Room of Nightmare! Now whenever you get hit with Effect Damage, you lose an additional 300 lifepoints!"

"Of course!" Serena shouts as Millefeui plays her card. "Now I understand why Millefeui wanted me to give her my spare copy."

"What do you mean?" asks Kanata.

"Since Alexis is going to lose 300 lifepoints every time a Madolche monster attacks, or gets attacked, Millefeui will inflict more damage with that card. So now Alexis will lose 600 lifepoints per Madolche monster during the Battle Phase!"

"That's the idea!" Millefeui responds. "And next, I summon Madolche Chouxvalier in Attack Mode!"

With a neigh, a horse-rider appears: a young boy with short blonde hair dressed similar to Napoleon Bonaparte (with a bicorne hat and a long coat lined with piano keys) who wields a peppermint cane sword and rides a grey plush horse with a lime green mane and tail. (1700/1300 -) 2200/1800)

"All right, Adrien," says Millefeui. "Ready to give our opponent her just desserts?"

 _Of course, milady._ Madolche Chouxvalier answers, turning to Millefeui and tipping his hat at her.

 _Hmph._ Madolche Marmalmaide huffs as she opens her book as if she has found something interesting to read in it. _I don't see_ you _giving me a name, huh?_

"Don't worry, Mey-rin," says Millefeui. "I haven't forgotten about you. I assume you that you'll get a chance to fight against this Prima Donna."

Alexis snarls while Madolche Chouxvalier points his peppermint sword at her.

"Now Chouxvalier, attack Etoile Cyber!"

 _Hyah!_ Madolche Chouxvalier cries as he leads his trusty steed into battle. Etoile Cyber grits her teeth.

"Not so fast," says Alexis. "I activate... Doble Passe!"

Alexis's card flips, revealing a lavender haired woman in a pink ruffled dress dancing underneath three spotlights shining down on her. Her face is covered with a white mask with a large smile painted on.

"Now your monster has to attack me directly, but in exchange Etoile Cyber can do the same thing to you! And when Etoile Cyber attacks directly, she gains an additional 500 attack points!"

Madolche Chouxvalier rides past Alexis's monsters and swipes at her Duel Disk while Madolche Waltz and Dark Room of Nightmare glows.

Then, Etoile Cyber glows in response, her attack rising to 2500 as she leaps into the air and performs her diving kick, flying over the Madolche monsters and striking Millefeui hard in the stomach, causing her to fall to her knees.

"Millefeui!" Kanata exclaims. "Are you okay?"

 **(Millefeui: 5500) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 4900)**

"I'm fine," Millefeui pants, slowly standing up. "I'm like a good old fashioned pound cake. It takes a lot to really knock me down."

Alexis chuckles. "Well, then perhaps my face-down card will change your mind. I activate Damage Gate to Special Summon a monster from my deck whose attack is equal to or less than the amount of lifepoints I lost this turn. And the card I choose is...Blade Skater!"

Appearing next to Etoile Cyber is a female ice skater with a bald head, purple skin in patches of violet and lavender, an earring on her right ear, parts of a skirt attached to the waist and, fitting her name, ice skates attached to her feet and blades on her arms. (1400 -) 2400 ATK)

 _That was a smart move._ Millefeui notes as Etoile Cyber and Command Knight now have attack scores of 2200. _Not only did Doble Passe protect her monster, it gave her the chance to summon the other component for one of her signature monsters._

 _I'm in trouble on my next turn, so I best hope she doesn't have anything_ else _up her sleeve._

"I end my turn with a face-down card." says Millefeui, slipping a card into her Duel Disk.

"This could be bad," says Serena. "If Alexis summons Blade Skater, then it doesn't matter how many monsters Millefeui summons; Blade Skater will mow them down without mercy."

Alexis draws her card and her cold hazel eyes glare into Millefeui's magenta ones before she flips the card, relishing the shock on her opponent's face.

"I play Polymerization!" says Alexis. "And I fuse Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater to form my favorite monster!"

Then, both Cyber Girls leap into the air, and in a swirl of color, they begin to fuse.

" _Deadly lady with fearsome blades, against the odds, your skills shine through! Fusion Summon! Put these monsters on ice, Cyber Blader!"_

a new purple-skinned warrior descends, dressed in a skin-tight red and purple bodysuit, with dark blue hair falling to her waist, a red visor covering her eyes, red spikes rising from her shoulders, parts of a gossamer skirt attached to the waist and ice skates on her purple feet. (2100 -) 2900 ATK)

"And since you know so much about me, then you know that the abilities of Cyber Blader varies depending on the amount of monsters you control. I spy two monsters there and thus Blade Skater has her attack score doubled!"

Blade Skater's frown rapidly shifts to a wicked smirk as Madolche Marmalmaide and Chouxvalier gulp. (2900 -) 5800 ATK)

"Now Cyber Blader," says Alexis, pointing at Chouxvalier. "Put him to rest!"

 _As you command._ Cyber Blader replies coldly before she skates towards Madolche Chouxvalier and then slugs him in the stomach, causing him to shatter like porcelain. Simultaneously, Madolche Waltz and Dark Room of Nightmare glow, but Alexis doesn't even flinch.

 **(Millefeui: 1900) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 4300)**

"Thanks to Madolche Chateau, if a Madolche monster is sent to the graveyard, instead of being shuffled into the deck, he returns into my hand," says Millefeui, a card appearing in her hand. "And now, I activate my face-down card, Shock Draw!"

As the face-down card flips over, Millefeui draws three more cards giving her a hand of five cards. Alexis snarls and signals the end of her turn.

"Millefeui is in a corner," Crow notes. "If she loses, we'll all be stuck here forever!"

"Millefeui can duel with the best," says Serena, hand over a deck strapped to her belt. "But just in case, I have some reinforcements that should give this 'Empress' goosebumps."

"I don't think those Ghostrick pals of yours can do a lot of damage," Masato notes.

Serena lowers her head and asks, "Who says that I was talking about them?"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Risa Kageyama absolutely wants nothing more than to kill her opponent where he stood. Preferably with a bolt of lightning.

She is down to 1300 lifepoints, and her opponent, Eru, has 4000 left, Wall of Revealing Light (in which Eru paid half of her lifepoints to activate it) and a Raging Flame Spirte with 2100 attack points.

Risa only has one card face-down on the field. What she drew would determine the duel.

"Feeling the heat, aren't you?" Eru chuckles. "Let's see if your witchcraft can save you now!"

Taking a deep breath, Risa draws her card. When she looks at it, she chuckles.

"You know," she notes. "They say if you play with fire, then there's a chance that you'll get burned."

"Cut the cliches and get to the point where I haul your ass outta here!" Eru snaps.

Risa shrugs her shoulders. "Suit yourself. First, I summon Shiranui Spearitualist in Attack Mode."

In a burst of flame, a young woman wearing a lavender _uwagi_ top tied with a black _obi_ and a red _hakama_ appears. She has a thin sword strapped to her side and in her hands is a _naginata_ with the red curved blade wrapped in flames. (1500 ATK)

"And when she's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Shiranui Spectralsword' from my hand or deck onto the field. And the card I choose is Shiranui Spectralsword of Sunset!"

Shiranui Spearitualist twirls her weapon into the air before a sword appears by her side, wreathed in flames. Hovering above it is the spirit of a samurai with his white hair in a ponytail, wearing black armor decorated with flames. (800 ATK)

"So you summoned a magic sword, who cares?" Eru asks with a roll of his eyes. "It's still not strong enough to penetrate my Wall of Revealing Light!"

Risa smirks. "The Shiranui Spectralsword monsters are Tuners."

Eru raises an eyebrow. "So?"

"So I'm gonna use the two monsters to Synchro Summon, idiot! Here we go!"

Shiranui Spearitualist transforms into a cluster of four stars while Shiranui Spectralsword turns into three green rings.

 **(4* + 3* = 7*)**

" _Spiritual warrior with naginata in hand and sword that burns with the light of the setting sun! Combine your skills and experience to burn my enemy now! Synchro Summon! Level 7! Come to my side, Shiranui Spiritsaga!"_

In a burst of flames, the newest monster appears which is essentially Shiranui Speraitualist wielding Shiranui Spectralsword of Sunset with the _naginata_ strapped to Shiranui Speraitualist's back. (2100 ATK)

Eru cackles. " _That's_ your special monster? All of that summoning for your monster to pick up a _sword_?! I mean, I know you witches have to go through years of training so you can learn how to boil water without using a match but this is ridiculous!"

Shiranui Spiritsaga frowns, both girl and spirit, as Risa smirks.

"Shiranui Spiritsaga allows me to banish a monster from my graveyard," she begins. "And depending on the monster I Banished, it allows me to activate a lot of abilities. And for this, I Banish Shiranui Skillsaga to unleash Spiritsaga's _three_ abilities!"

Eru stops laughing as Risa Banishes a Synchro Monster from her graveyard. Then, Shiranui Spiritsaga takes a proper fighting stance, the sword in hand wrapped in blue flames.

"First off, if the monster that was Banished was a Zombie-type monster, all monsters I control gain 300 attack points."

Shiranui Spiritsaga smirks as power washes all over her. (2100 -) 2400 ATK)

"Second, if the monster that was Banished was a Fire-attribute monster, then Spiritsaga can destroy a Spell or Trap card on the field! And the only one I see is…"

Spiritsaga rushes towards the Wall of Revealing Light then slices it in half, causing Eru to cringe.

"And finally, if the monster that was Banished was a Synchro Monster, then I get to destroy one monster on the field. Like…"

Raging Flame Sprite cries out in horror as Spiritsaga slices the small fairy with two slices of the Spectralsword of Sunset before walking back to Risa's side of the field. Eru can only gulp as Risa chuckles.

"Shiranui Spiritsaga...attack directly!"

Shiranui Spiritsaga lets out a quick " _Ha!"_ as they race towards their opponent, the sword in hand slicing at the opponent with ease, covering Eru in flames as he falls onto his back. Eru gasps in horror as his lifepoints drop to 1600.

"You...you may have destroyed my combo.." he says, standing up. "But I just need to draw the right card and I can end this duel next turn!"

"This duel is OVER!" Risa yells. "I activate my face-down card, Spiritual Fire Art - Kurenai!"

Eru begins to sweat as the card flips over, revealing Hiita the Fire Charmer with a large black kanji for "Crimson" behind her.

"Now all I have to do is sacrifice Shiranui Spiritsaga and you lose lifepoints equal to her original attack points!" Risa grins. " _Now_ you're feeling the heat, aren't you?"

"Wait, please!" Eru exclaims, eyes wide with horror. "S...spare me!"

Risa narrows her gaze, her eyes glowing red. "Witches do not spare sinners, especially haughty ones like you! Burn him down, Shiranui Spiritsaga!"

Shiranui Spiritsaga transforms into a ball of fire before flying towards Eru. The psychic has no time to scream before he is flung ten feet away, slamming against the wall.

Risa smiles as the holograms vanish and she turns away, stating a quote from her favorite Shakespeare play.

"Fair is foul and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and the filthy air."

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 _Oh, great._ Millefeui thinks, staring at her hand. As she draws her card, she adds, _If I just summon another monster right now, Cyber Blader will just have her attack doubled and…_

She pauses and notices the card she has just drawn.

 _Cyber Blader will just have her_ attack _doubled! Of course!_

"Before I begin," Millefeui announces. "I play Emergency Provisions and offer Madolche Waltz and Dark Room of Nightmare to increase my lifepoints by 2000."

Both Continuous Spell and Trap Cards disintegrate into light as Millefeui feels replenished.

 **(Millefeui: 3900) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 4300)**

"Next, I summon Madolche Chickolates in Defense Mode!"

In a chorus of cheeps, a brown chick appears wearing a red bowtie on its breast alongside a chocolate bar and cocoa bean. Surrounding him are four smaller chicks wearing the same bowtie-chocolate bar-bean combo. (800/1500 -) 1300/2000).

Meanwhile, Cyber Blader chuckles at seeing another monster to kill. (2900 -) 5800 ATK)

"And then," says Millefeui, hand over a card. "I place Madolche Marmalmaide in Attack Mode!"

The maid blinks when she hears the command before she stands up and closes her book shut. (1300 ATK)

"Are you _crazy_?!" Masato exclaims. "Marmalade is too weak to go after Cyber Blader!"

"You're right," Millefeui agrees. "But that's where Madolche Chickolates comes in!"

Madolche Chickolates chirps and flies towards Cyber Blader, their eyes wide as the Fusion Monster is frozen in place and then the birds peck at her, causing her to drop in Defense Mode. (5800/800 -) 2900/800)

"Huh?!" Alexis exclaims. The same exclamation is repeated by everyone else (including Crow).

Millefeui chuckles. "You see, Alexis, if one of my Madolche monsters changes positions when I have Madolche Chickolates on the field, I can have Chickolates make one of your Monsters to go to Defense Mode with the added bonus of its effects negated.

"After all, when I have two monsters, Cyber Blader has her _attack_ doubled. But her Defense? Well, let me see how she does after Marmalade throws the book at her!"

And the maid does hurl her book at Cyber Blader like it is a heavy rock. Cyber Blader screams as she is shattered into thousands of pixels.

"All right!" says Kanata. "I knew you could do it, nee-san!"

Millefeui replies with a thumb's up as Alexis grits her teeth.

"Oh, did it hurt to find your strongest monster defeated by a maid?" Millefeui teases, slipping a card into her Duel Disk. "Trust me, when I say that I'm gonna serve you a delicious pound cake after all this is over!"

 _This is bad._ Alexis thinks. _I can't let anyone enter! Mistress will kill me if that happens!_

She draws her card then sighs.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" she says. "Now we draw until we have six cards."

"I know what it does, not like I have the need to use it," Millefeui mutters as coins fall from the sky. Alexis draws until she has five more cards while Millefeui draws three. Then, she laughs.

"The end is nigh for you!" she announces. "Now it's time to show you what I'm made of!"

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"And...that's all you could gather?" Fubuki Tenjoin asks.

The figure across from him nods their head. "I'm sorry. I know how much they mean to you."

Fubuki sighs, tenting his hands across his face as he looks at a picture on the table. His heart breaks in two when he sees himself and his closest friends.

"How could they have fallen?" he murmurs. "When I am the one who has suffered so much more than they ever will?"

Before he can get an answer, he gets a knock on the door. Fubuki quickly glances as his guest vanishes into a ball of light before he approaches the door, clearing his throat.

"Who is it?" he asks, peering through the peephole.

"Fubuki Tenjoin," says a feminine voice. "Please let us all in. This is of utmost importance."

"...How so?" asks Fubuki.

"Your sister is in danger, Fubuki-san!" says a second female voice, albeit somewhat younger. "We need anything you can give us as to how she fell into a coma now!"

Fubuki bows his head as he feels a dark presence in the room, coercing them to submit into their clutches. It sounds like someone rattling numerous chains in the corners of his mind. No matter how hard he struggles, he knows that it will consume him completely…

And that he accepted the price a long time ago.

After a few seconds of internal debate, he opens the door and finds himself staring into four people he has never seen before. Two adults, two children. Two male, two female.

"Oh, hello there!" he says, plastering a smile on his face. "And...who are you?"

A man in a magenta suit and long pink hair takes a step forward. "I am Siegfried von Schroeder, and I have just one question for you."

"Um, what's that?" asks Fubuki.

Siegfried narrows his eyes. "Fubuki Tenjoin, you are the one who is the current host to the Darkness of Nihility, correct?"

And at that moment, Fubuki could feel the chains that kept the darkness within him break apart.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"I play Pre-Preparation of Rites to take a Ritual Spell and Ritual Monster card into my hand!" says Alexis.

The Spell Card appears, depicting Ritual Raven enjoying a lavish feast as black cloaked cultists look on. Meanwhile, Alexis takes two cards from her deck to her hand.

"Next, I play Machine Angel Ritual!" Alexis exclaims. "And when I play it, all I have to do is sacrifice monsters with a combined level equal to 'Cyber Angel' Ritual monster that I wish to summon."

Alexis plays her Spell Card, depicting a cavern where a large altar lit by a bonfire is guarded by a woman in a maroon leotard and blond hair. Then, a replica of the altar materializes.

"I hate to break it to you - actually I don't," says Millefeui. "But Command Knight isn't gonna be enough to even summon Idaten, so how exactly will this card help you?"

Alexis smirks. "Because Idaten isn't who I'm summoning."

"Wait, _what_?!"

"I offer Command Knight on the field and Cyber Gymnast in my hand!" Alexis announces.

Command Knight vanishes into the altar as another card is discarded from Alexis's hand to the graveyard. The flames of the altar flare as a large orb of light descends onto the ground.

" _Fierce angel with weapons in hand. Unleash your fury upon those who inflicts evil across the land! Ritual Summon! Level 8! Come now, Cyber Angel Dakini!"_

Then, with a loud cry, the Cyber Angel appears from the orb: a blue and skinned warrior with a yellow cowl decorated with four blue horns covering her maroon shoulder-length hair, an orange breast plate lined with black covering her chest and complete with shoulder pads for her four arms (yes, four!), along with blue tights with yellow accents and orange knee pads along with yellow boots. In her four blue gloved hands, she wields different weapons: a curved sword and scimitar in her lower hands, and a long spear in her upper hands. (2700 ATK)

"Oh, that's not good," says Serena.

"When Cyber Angel Dakini is successfully summoned, you have to send one monster you control to the graveyard," Alexis explains. "So, will it be the maid or the birds?"

Millefeui looks at her two monsters, seeing Madolche Marmalmaide reading her book and Madolche Chickolates look at her with teary eyes. Then, she sighs.

"Take a break Mey-rin," she says. "I'll take it from here."

 _Suit yourself._ Madolche Marmalmaide states as she leaves the field, her card being taken into Millefeui's hand.

"And next," says Alexis. "I summon another Etoile Cyber onto the field!"

A copy of the blue-skinned dancer in her red leotard appears. (1200 -) 1400 ATK)

"And now I attack! Go Cyber Angel Dakini, pluck their feathers!"

 _Not good._ Millefeui thinks. _Dakini inflicts Piercing Damage on defensive monsters. At the very least, I don't lose as many lifepoints from losing Chickolates than if I had Marmalmaide out in the open._

Cyber Angel Dakini yells as she runs towards Madolche Chickolates, the birds cheeping in horror before they are destroyed in a burst of cocoa beans.

 **(Millefeui: 3200) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 4300)**

"Go Etoile Cyber! Attack directly!"

Etoile Cyber leaps into the air, right foot extended as she aims for another powerful kick into Millefeui's stomach. Millefeui screams this time as she drops onto her back, feeling like one of her ribs is cracked.

 **(Millefeui: 1300) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 4300)**

"MILLEFEUI!" Serena shouts, taking a step toward her girlfriend. Millefeui slowly stands up.

"I...I'm fine…" she gasps out, hand over her chest. "I can take it!"

"Can you?" Alexis asks, playing a face-down card. "Come next turn, I'll unleash my ultimate weapon!"

"What's that? Your older brother?" Millefeui snarks, drawing her card. "Because I'm certain that there is no way I'm gonna find myself totally into him."

At this, Alexis pauses and a spark briefly appears in her eyes.

"Hmm," says Serena, turning to Masato. "Hey, Masato."

"Yeah?" asks Masato.

Serena leans into his ear and whispers something while Millefeui plays Graceful Charity, drawing three cards and sending two to the graveyard. Masato's eyes light up and he nods his head as Millefeui looks at Alexis.

"Time to get this party started!" she says. "I activate my face-down card, Madolchepalooza!"

Millefeui flips her face-down card over, showing six Madolche monsters (Puddingcess, Queen Tiramisu, Butlerusk, Marmalade, Cruffsant and Chouxvalier) on top of a delicious looking two-layer cake decorated with almost anything sweet that tantalizes one's tongue.

"This card lets me Special Summon as many Madolche monsters as from my hand that I can place on the Monster Zones, but they all return to my deck at the end of my turn.

"So let's not keep you waiting. From my hand, I summon Madolche Chouxvalier, Marmalade, Chickolates, Butlerusk and Baaple onto the field! Let's party!"

Alexis snarls as she sees the familiar figures of the horse-rider (1700/1300 -) 2200/1800), maid (800/2000 -) 1300/2500) and chicks (800/1500 -) 1300/2000) but pauses at the newcomers: an adorable sheep with white wool and two cornets for horns. (0/1800 -) 500/2300) and a butler with short brown hair, a monocle over his right eye and a white china teapot and teacup in his hands. (1500/900 -) 2000/1400)

Madolche Baaple bleats as he bumps into Millefeui's leg and wags his little tail at her. Meanwhile, Butlerusk pours a cup of tea for Millefeui, who gladly accepts it. She takes a sip and lets out a sigh.

"A bit of peppermint and chamomile for relaxation," she says. "Thanks, Sebastian."

 _No problem, my lady._ Madolche Butlerusk replies with a bow. _Is there anything else that you request?_

"I do. Sebastian, Mey-rin... it's time to unleash the Overlay Network!"

Madolche Marmalmaide and Butlerusk turn and nod to one another before they leap into a portal. Millefeui sighs as she clasps her hands in prayer.

" _Righteous queen of sweets and innocence. Your loyal subjects need your help once more! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! May the gods save you, Queen Tiaramisu!"_

A new figure rises from the ground, seated on a throne. It is a woman with silver hair topped with a tiara, wearing a brown dress with a yellow skirt and chocolate-colored tassels. Draped over her shoulders is a coffee-colored fur cape with white trim, and in her left hand is a scepter with a pink staff, topped with a chocolate egg in-between two curled ladyfinger cookies to resemble prongs. Flying above her head are two birds, and near her feet are a grey bunny and yellow squirrel. (2200/2100 -) 2700/2600)

 _Oh my._ Queen Tiaramisu notes, seeing Alexis in front of her. _This is quite a change of pace._

"Indeed it is, your majesty," says Millefeui. "So now it's time for a little redecorating! By removing one of Queen Tiaramisu's Overlay Units, I can take two 'Madolche' monsters in my graveyard back to my deck to shuffle two cards you control back to your deck!"

"What?!" Alexis gasps. "But you don't have any monsters in the graveyard."

"I do," says Millefeui, watching one of the orbs surrounding Queen Tiaramisu's staff shatter. "And here they are!"

Two cards eject from her graveyard, Madolche Mewfeuille and Madolche Puddingcess. She takes the two cards into her hand as a strong wind blows Cyber Angel Dakini and The A. Forces back into Alexis's deck, leaving Etoile Cyber by herself. (1400 -) 1200 ATK)

"That's why she played Graceful Charity then!" says Crow. "So that she had fodder in her graveyard to activate Queen Tiaramisu's effect."

"Just because I'm into sweets and baking doesn't mean I play nice," says Millefeui. "Now then Queen Tiaramisu, attack directly!"

Queen Tiaramisu raises her staff as the chocolate egg glows with a soft light. Then, she swings her staff as a blast of energy flies towards Etoile Cyber.

"Not so fast!" says Alexis. "I play Waboku to negate battle damage to zero this turn."

Millefeui snarls as the trio of blue-robed monks stand in front of Etoile Cyber, protecting her from the attack.

"I end my turn with two cards face-down," she says. "And with that, everyone else returns to my deck!"

Madolche Baaple, Chickolates and Chouxvalier transform into cards before they enter Millefeui's deck. Meanwhile, Alexis draws a card.

"I play Cyber Petit Angel in Defense Mode," she says.

In a burst of light, a little pink ball with matching eyes and stubby arms and legs and angel wings appears. Essentially, it is a robotic version of the more common Petit Angel card. (200 DEF)

"And when my little helper is summoned, I can take either a 'Machine Angel Ritual' or 'Cyber Angel' card from my deck to my hand. I already have the Ritual card, so it's time for me to summon the monster that will finish the job."

A card pops out of her deck, which she takes.

"And now, I play Machine Angel Ritual once more to summon my most powerful Cyber Angel!"

"Wait, Dakini isn't your strongest?" asks Millefeui.

Alexis chuckles. "You thought wrong. But to unleash her power, I need to sacrifice monsters so that their levels equal 10."

"A _Level 10_ Cyber Angel?!"

"Precisely. Now, I offer both Etoile Cyber and Cyber Petit Angel on the field and my second Blade Skater in my hand, to summon my newest monster!"

Three orbs of light fly into the Ritual Spell before it glows a light that causes everyone to look away (Crow especially) all while Alexis chants,

 _"Angel of light hiding eternal power. Now show your form to this vast world, and illuminate all creation! Ritual Summon! Descend, Level 10! Cyber Angel Vrash!"_

And when the light fades, everyone looks at the monster with awe and fear.

The Cyber Angel is taller than Dakini, first and foremost, wearing a blue and pink skin-tight suit with green accents (or maybe that _is_ her skin?) with white shoulder pads and knee-length boots that also have green trim. Her four arms are decorated with golden cuffs ending with upward bowls at the wrist. Her face is white with pink around the eyes and topping her head of ebony waist-length hair is a headdress that reminds Millefeui of a pyramid of pink grapefruit with thin green stripes. But the most startling features of this monster is the large gear that hovers behind her like a wheel, and the six wings (two gossamer ones attached to the hip and four that flare out to the sides composed of light) that make the monster resemble an angel…

An angel that is ready to smite Millefeui where she stands. (3000 ATK)

"And when Vrash is Ritual Summoned, all monsters that were Special Summoned from your Extra Deck are destroyed, and you lose 1000 lifepoints for each of them. Plus, for every monster destroyed by this effect, Vrash gains an extra attack."

Queen Tiramisu drops her staff in horror as the gear behind Vrash opens. A massive beam of energy forms and strikes the Xyz Monster in the heart, causing Millefeui to shield herself as her lifepoints dwindle down to almost nothing.

 **(Millefeui: 300) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 4300)**

"That face-down card better be a Draining Shield or else nee-san is finished!" Kanata exclaims.

"Cyber Angel Vrash, attack directly!" says Alexis.

Two large spectral wings form behind the Cyber Angel as they charge two large beams of light that threaten to incinerate Millefeui where she stands. Millefeui grins.

"I play my first face-down card, Xyz Reborn!"

Her first face-down card flips and Madolche Queen Tiaramisu emerges onto the field once more with a silver orb spinning around her staff. (2200/2100 -) 2700/2600)

"That won't change a thing!" says Alexis. "Continue your attack, Vrash!"

The two beams fire at the Madolche Queen as everyone looks in horror and Millefeui laughs.

"You fell for it!" she shouts. "I activate...Half Counter!"

The second card flips over, revealing Amazoness Paladin blocking an attack with her sword while Amazoness Swords Woman and a warrior from the Amazoness Archers card looks on.

"With this card, Queen Tiaramisu will gain half of Cyber Angel Vrash's original attack!" says Millefeui. "And you can't stop your attack!"

Queen Tiaramisu plants her staff on the ground as it begins to radiate with power. (2700 -) 4200 ATK) Cyber Angel Vrash's beams fuse into a larger beam that is bounced back from the staff and hits the Ritual Monster in the chest. Cyber Angel Vrash screams as she is disintegrates from her own attack.

 **(Millefeui: 1300) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 3100)**

"She did it!" Crow gasps. "She destroyed her Key Monster!"

"But without the memory as to what happened before she fell, she's still stuck here," Serena points out. "This plan of mine better work."

Alexis stares at the two cards in her hand before she stares at her empty field.

"I end my turn," she says.

"And I start mine," says Millefeui, drawing a card. "If only your big brother were here to see you now."

"My...brother?" Alexis mumbles, placing a hand onto her forehead.

"Fubuki Tenjoin," Millefeui explains. "I remember seeing him come to the Café in Wonderland a few times. The last time this happened, your brother was preparing everything for your birthday which, coincidentally, is in two days.

"Fubuki-san talked to Kanata, mom and I about the type of cake you wanted and, well, he looked like he was hiding something...something so life-threatening that he'd rather die than reveal it to you."

"What that something is, I don't know. But I promise you that we're going to find out and use it to free you so the two of you can celebrate your Sweet 16. Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll make it together."

When Alexis doesn't respond, Serena nudges Masato in the ribs. Millefeui then bows her head.

"Time to end this," she says. "I activate my final card, Madolche Lesson!"

Millefeui's final card flips, depicting an utterly bored Madolche Puddingcess seated in front of a table where various pieces of silverware are laid out in front of her.

"I send one 'Madolche' monster from my graveyard to the deck and increase the attack and defense points of all 'Madolche' monsters on the field by 800. After that I get to send _another_ monster from my deck to the graveyard, but that won't be necessary for what I'm about to do.."

Madolche Lesson glows as Queen Tiaramisu bows, a soft smile on her face. (2700/2600 -) 3500/3400)

"Now Madolche Queen Tiaramisu...attack Asuka directly!"

Queen Tiaramisu raises her staff into the air and whispers an incantation as the egg-like orb glows like a diamond under moonlight. Then, with a cry, she swings the staff down as a beam of light strikes Alexis in the stomach, causing her to fly back a few feet, onto her back.

 **(Millefeui: 300) - - - - - - - (Alexis: 0)**

"All right!" Masato and Kanata cheer as Millefeui drops her shoulders and approaches an injured Alexis.

"You okay?" she says.

Alexis groans, feeling her head spin even when she places a hand on it.

"I...I think so," she says. "What's happened?"

"You're in Wonderland and are blocking the path to a dangerous being known as the 'Black Rose Witch'," Crow quickly explains. "We don't know how you got here, but wait until we get back so we can free you and bring you back to your brother."

"My brother...he wanted to...say something."

"Really?" asks Serena. "What do you remember, Asuka Tenjoin?"

"I...I…" Asuka squeezes her eyes shut. "He said something...nothing…"

" _Nothing_?!" Kanata exclaims. "Oh, that is just per-"

"No, wait," says Crow, as he grips onto Asuka's shoulders. "Finish it! What is this 'nothing'."

"Nothing...darkness...dragon," Asuka murmurs.

Crow's eyes widen as he drops Asuka. He then turns to the four kids.

"Of all things," he whispers. "Her brother…"

"What's going on, Crow?" asks Serena. "What's this Dark Nothingness that Asuka is mumbling about?"

Crow grits his teeth. "We have to get to Haruka and hope that she's getting the info from your friends above. If it has to do with _him_ , then Asuka is gonna be a lost cause when she wakes up."

He then turns to Asuka and smiles sadly. "Stay here. Once we get Haruka back, we'll come back for you. We'll explain everything then."

"Explain?" Asuka repeats.

"Yeah. Kids, let's go."

The four nod their heads as they follow Crow deeper into the woods, as they leave, Asuka slowly stands up, slightly swaying as she places a hand on her forehead. She...she has a brother...and her brother mentioned something about darkness.

Her eyes widen as she recalls a memory. She came home early and found her brother in his bedroom, surrounded by a dark aura as he whispered something about…

About…

Just as she is about to remember, she senses someone also with her. Asuka turns around and sees a white cloaked figure standing a few feet away from her, carrying a lantern in their hands..

"W...who are you?" she gasps, preparing to draw a card from her Duel Disk.

The figure smirks beneath the hood of the cloak.

"I have come to make you see the light," they hiss, lifting the lantern above their face. "Come with me, little lamb."

And the last thing Asuka remembers is that her vision is filled with light.

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"So," says Fubuki, staring at the four people seated in his living room. "You guys aren't from _Chasing Shadows_ , huh?"

"As if!" Hikari huffs, folding her arms across her chest. "Shinji and I are freelance, for your information!"

"And why exactly would you be with Siegfried von Schroeder, CEO of Schroder Corp. and Mache Soie, the CEO of Rapunzel Apparel, on this fine evening? Shouldn't you two be at home doing your homework?"

"This _is_ our homework," Shinji replies, narrowing his eyes. "We just got a text from a friend of ours explaining that your sister is currently in Wonderland, going under the name of 'Alexis Rhodes' and they said that whatever happened to her had to be in relation to you."

"And we're only with Siegfried-san and Mache-san because we just so 'happen' to bump into them on our way to meet up with you," Hikari adds. "But that's not important right now.

"Fubuki-san, spill the beans. What did Siegfried mean when he said you were the host to this 'Dark Nothingness' or whatever it was called?"

"The Darkness of Nihility?" Fubuki clarifies. As Hikari nods her head, he chuckles before bursting into full-blown laughter, causing the four visitors to look in apprehension. When Fubuki finishes his laugh, he smiles.

But his smile is completely hollow.

Then, Fubuki narrows his eyes and walks to a shelf to his right. He opens the lid of a simple wooden box and pulls out an item: a Duel Monsters card depicting a strange purple mask that covers his eyes with blue eyepieces and a red orb in the center.

"Let me warn you that this is not something made for mortal eyes," Fubuki begins, the card in his hand glowing until it transforms into a similar eye mask depicted in the card itself. "Now, don't blink."

As he places the mask over his eyes, Mache gasps as she pulls down one of the massive sleeves of her dress. Etched onto her right arm is a mark that resembles the wings of a dragon, colored red.

"This is bad," she whispers, watching the mark on her arm glow. "Get behind me!"

As she says this, Fubuki smirks as his crisp white and blue outfit darkens as if someone has poured ink over his entire body. Mache raises both of her arms into the air while a barrier with the same design as her wings mark forms around her, Siegfried, Hikari and Shinji. The living room becomes swallowed by the shadows, trapping them all within an empty void, with the only light source coming from Mache's crimson mark.

"You have one of those marks?!" Hikari exclaims, taking a quick picture of Mache. She snarls. "You must be associated with -"

"We can discuss this later!" Siegfried snaps, preparing his Duel Disk. "This is gonna get _ugly_."

Then, a laugh pierces the darkness.

This comes from Fubuki, dressed in a dark-green coat with dark gold trim and violet lining. Strapped to his left arm is a black Duel Disk styled to look like a dark dragon with crimson eyes. He smiles as a pair of six ragged wings unfurl from his back and the eyepieces of his mask glow like stars.

"W...what the?" says Hikari. "Who _are_ you?"

The dark figure with Fubuki's face just smirks.

 _ **I am the Ruler of the Darkness of Nihility.**_ The figure answers, his voice echoing within the darkness. _**But...you may call me 'Nightshroud'.**_

 **0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

 **Serena: Okay, it looks like we're going off book here. I hope Haruka is doing okay.**

 **Masato: But here's a question: for every Faller we encounter, how do their loved ones feel about it?**

 **Millefeui: And better yet, what else do they know about this epidemic?**

 **Siegfried: That is going to be something that I'll have to uncover from this matchmaker.**

 **Hikari: I don't think that will be the** _ **only**_ **thing you'll unearth from this Casanova...**

 **Kanata: Either way, I hope you know what you're doing. Next time, 8th Dream, "Nevermind".**

 **Nightshroud: Let me warn you right now, mortals. What you're about to learn about me is not for the faint of heart.**


End file.
